


Not A Cop Anymore

by JoeyPare



Series: LaFiamma! [1]
Category: Houston Knights
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-26 01:51:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 31,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15653325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoeyPare/pseuds/JoeyPare
Summary: An old lover from college and rodeo days visits Levon to renew old times. Joey is reunited with a Marine Colonel when he is called up to assist in a rescue mission.=Previous posted on Starwinder's Houston Knights Site.





	Not A Cop Anymore

 

 

_Everything on this page is fiction. Any resemblance or reference to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental._

Joe LaFiamma was frustrated, sweating and down right disturbed. He rolled off the body under him, moved off the bed and walked to the bedroom window. "I can't do it Lundy. I just can't do it! We weren't meant to be lovers!"

"LaFiamma, come back here." Levon rasped, his hard cock tight against his stomach. "Joe, please. We did it before.... It will be okay."

"We did it before after working twenty-four hours straight, and yes, it was a welcomed break, but... But - but damn it Lundy, I have to be in charge! It stems from that rape I told you about... that happened in high school. Ever since then I swore no one would ever take advantage of me again. I just can't do it your way. I'm sorry."

"Just come back here, will ya? We'll work on it." Levon gasped watching the slumped shoulders of his long time partner turn away from the window.

Joey turned and stared at his partner on the bed. Lundy was hot no doubt about it, then why was he having so much trouble. He could take care of the hard-on but the rest, he wasn't so sure about. Damn Uncle Vinnie for training him to be a Dominant! Though he thrived on it in college and in the Marines ... SHIT ... that's it. Guthrie was too damn much like Lundy. How could he make love to his partner when he could see his Colonel being totally submissive to him?

"I can take care of that cowboy," Joe said softly nodding to the cock lying across his partner's tight abdomen.

"Look, don't have to, okay. We'll talk about it tonight when you get back from your board meeting."

"LaFiamma, did you hear me?" Levon barked as his partner moved on the bed toward him. Lundy swallowed, and watched Joe spread his legs apart and kneel between them.

"Joe! JOOO! OMI...GODDDD. Where'd you ... learn.....SHIIIIIIT! Sweet Jesus... wher'....ohohohohoho.... god.....!!!" Levon grabbed fistfuls of the sheet, pushed his head into the pillow behind him and shouted Joe's name. The blond's head stared at the brown head of hair bobbing up and down in his groin. At point, Levon swore he saw his cock start to fall and what looked like a long tongue snake out of Joe's mouth, wrapped around his cock and pulled it back into Joe's throat. Oh yes they were definitely going to talk after the board meeting.

* * *

"Hey Chicken, how's it going?" Joe LaFiamma called to the big black man standing at the grill of Chicken's Barbeque Restaurant.

"Well Mr. LaFiamma, what are you doing here so early? I didn't expect to see you for a couple more hours. It is the first Thursday of the month, isn't it? Aren't you supposed to be at the board meeting at Taylor Orphanage?"

"Well, Chicken, this is the second meeting we didn't have enough for a quorum. Got some major changes to pass for the new building project and can't get enough people there to vote. I swear, some of those people agreed to be on the board just to pad their resumes."

"It happens LaFiamma. Lots of people today so busy but want that extra name on the paper." Chicken responded as he basted ribs on the grill.

Looking around the place, Joe asked, "Where's Lundy? He said he was meeting a friend from Dallas here tonight. I figured they'd still be here."

"The dude showed up with a horse in a horse trailer. Browning.., I think his name was, said he wanted Levon to take a look at the horse so they left for the ranch a little after seven. The guy didn't even want to wait to have a drink."

"Anything else going on I should know about. Any word on the street?" Joe asked glancing around the place.

"Had some 'spooks' in here earlier. Guess there was too many cops here for them, or they didn't find who they were lookin' for. They left."

"Spooks?" Joey asked.

"Mercanaries, Joe. All dressed in black. Had on those black cargo pants with all the pockets. Pockets were bulging, but no one dared approached them."

"Mercs? Here? Wha'd they look like?" Joey asked suddenly very interested.

"Two had black curly hair, dark eyes. At first I thought one was you. Then an older man. Well, not really that old, now that I think about it. Probably in his early forties. Dark hair starting to gray at the temples. The other two called him Guthrie."

" **Colonel** Guthrie?" LaFiamma said, shock showing in his voice.

"Yeah! You know 'em?" Chicken answered finding it hard to realize that LaFiamma would know such a group of men.

"The one that looked like me is probably one of my cousins. Both could be. Colonel Guthrie was my C.O. in the Marine Corps." Joe watched Chicken's eyebrows rise at that admission. No one knew he'd been in the Corps for two years. "If they come back give me a call on my cell. I'm heading out to the ranch."

"Everything still okay with you and Lundy since you moved out there. You ain't killed each other yet?"

"Don't know Chicken. Living together is a lot different then just being partners. Right now I'm not sure if what we are doing is the right thing or not ... but Lundy wanted to give it a try."

"I know Levon's got a real glow to him since you moved out there. Hope everything continues to work out." Chicken said.

"We'll see Chicken, we'll see."

The fact that LaFiamma had been in the Marine Corps poised a question the black man wasn't sure Joe would answer. "How long were in The Corps, Joe?"

Joe looked at the man. "Two years." He answered quietly, so only Chicken would hear the answer. "Graduated from college and wasn't sure what I wanted to do. Went to law school for a year until I discovered 'my family' thought that meant I was comin' into the business." Chicken nodded knowingly, it meant mob business. "Got an offer for a two year hitch. Had college so that meant I could be an officer. Sometimes I wished I had stayed in. Could be retired now and drawing a pension." Joey laughed. "Didn't find out until later that the two years came with a hidden clause."

"Hidden clause?" Chicken asked seeing a cloud pass over the Italian's face.

LaFiamma glanced around to see who was around. Then he said quietly, "I was a sharpshooter. Uncle Mikey taught me to shot when I was a kid. Took some shooting awards in high school. There's a paper in my file at Reisner that says I can be called up by the Order of the President, if my unit needs my expertise and their shooter isn't available."

"Glory be!" Chicken gasped. "Has that happened?"

"Four times in the last seven years." Joey said softly. "Listen Chicken, I got to get out to the ranch. If Guthrie and his guys come back, call me. Must be whatever is up - they're in need of a fourth man, and that man is me."

* * *

Levon followed Browning's trailer lights down the road to the ranch. He couldn't figure out what was so all fired special about looking at this horse tonight. Usually Quentin Browning liked to have a couple of beers before he started down to business. Tonight the man strolled into Chicken's and practically demanded they go out to the ranch right away.

Levon parked the Jimmy in its usual spot opposite the front porch. As he got out of his vehicle he watched Browning back his trailer up to the corral. It had been raining when he and Joe left in separate cars this morning, so Fooler was still in the barn. The cowboy watched his old rodeo friend back the black Appaloosa out of the trailer and release him into the corral.

"Mighty fine lookin' horse flesh you got there Browning!" Lundy said walking toward the barn. He flicked on the outside lights and Levon noticed the markings on the horse were very unusual. "You want to leave him here while you're in town? Where are you going to be stayin'?"

"Staying? Levon!" Browning laughed, "I always stay with you. Have every time I've come to Houston. It ain't often but you've never turned me away. You turning me away?"

Lundy swallowed. "Things have changed since you were last here. My partner, Joe LaFiamma, has moved in with me."

"The dude from CHI-CA-GO!! God Levon, you must be really hard up for a man to take him into your bed!"

Lundy bristled, not sure how to explain to his friend what he felt for Joe. Hell, he and Joe were still working it out between themselves and Levon wasn't interested in anything coming between what might turn out to be a really good thing...

"If you stay ... it will have to be in the guest room," Levon said tightly.

"In your dreams, cowboy! I didn't drive all the way out here to sleep in no guest room!" Browning said. "I'll just chat with your partner when he arrives and tell him the facts of life. Now help me clean out this trailer."

Lundy shook his head and walked into the barn to get Fooler and release her into the corral with the other horse. Then he got a pitchfork and a shovel and helped Browning clean out the manure of the trailer and put in fresh straw.

"Where'd this black paint come from?" Levon asked, running a finger along the inside rail of the trailer. "Looks like you might have a real painted horse here."

"They sent me photos of the horse I had agreed to buy. But when I got here this afternoon, the horse and picture didn't match. Then they sprung this Appaloosa on me."

Levon walked over to the corral and gave the horse a good once over. Bending between the rails he stepped into the corral for a closer look at the horse Browning had just bought. Brushing some hairs back away from the skin, Lundy discovered only the top layer of hair was black. Underneath was white. "Looks like you got a real painted horse, Browning! These here spots are painted black! Look! The color doesn't even go down to the skin."

"WHAT! I paid three thousand dollars for a horse that ain't a true appaloosa!" Quentin Browning shouted scurrying over the fence. In his rush to get to where Levon was standing Browning hit a soft mound of mud from the early morning rain and slid feet first into Lundy's legs bringing them both down.

"SHIT! Quentin! Can't you watch what you'd doing? Dang, we'll have strip out here. No way am I letting this mud get tracked in the house."

"Don't you still have that shower in the barn we put together three years ago? Can shower there." Browning said a smile crossing his face. "Probably not that much hot water in the solar reserve, so we can at least shower together."

Levon guessed he didn't see no harm in showering together. If he had realized that his friend purposely got them dirty he might not have agreed so readily.

As they undressed and draped their muddy clothes on the fence railing, Lundy tried to tell his friend about his new relationship with Joe. When the two naked men arrived at the shower, Levon realized his friend hadn't heard one word he'd said.

* * *

LaFiamma cut the lights of the Cobra as he drove into Lundy's driveway. He parked next to the Jimmy as he always did. He noticed right away that there were no lights on in the house yet, so he walked down to the well lit barn. Joe stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing the clothes draped on the corral railings ... two pair of jeans, shirts, boots and socks. He looked toward the barn and heard laughter. He pulled a gun out of one of his holsters and slowly, cautiously walked into the barn past the horse stalls to the shower. He stared in disbelief at Levon and who he figured was Browning showering together under the water. He stood and watched their play trying to figure out why he was getting so bent out of shape when he and Lundy weren't really lovers yet. Though he knew they might be if he could come to grips with his fears. Joe moved closer but stayed in the shadows.

"Browning! Back up, huh." Levon barked as his friend touched his growing hardness.

"LEE-Vooon. This dude from Chicago ... he know how to satisfy you the way I do? Well does he?" Browning cooed.

"We're ... we're working on our relationship. It's new to both of us."

"Having a man isn't new to you Levon. Come off it. I fucked your ass in college. I fucked your ass when you split with Caroline. I fuck you ass every time I could to Houston. If you think I'm giving that up for some Northerner dude from Chicago ... you are wrong! Unless ... hell that's it! Isn't it?"

"That's what?" Levon said gulping back the hardiness Browning's teasing was causing him. Glad Joe wasn't around to see his weakness. He never had been able to say no to Browning. Had done things for Browning that he'd never dare do for or with anyone else. He was damn glad Joe was sitting in a board meeting right now.

"He's a cocksucker, ain't he? Hell yes. Italian - right? An Italian stallion! Damn, now I know I am going to hang around until he comes so I can enjoy his talent myself. He did a job on you, didn't he?" Browning chuckled, watching a red blush flash across Levon's face and chest.

Joey heard the words and waited for his partner's response. _[Cocksucker! Defend me partner. Stand up to the man!]_ What he saw next shocked the Italian to the core. Browning grabbed Lundy by the shoulders and pulled him in for a kiss. For a moment Joe thought his partner was going push the man away. Instead, Joey's eyes widened as Levon's arms encircled Browning's shoulder and legs grabbed the man's hips.

As the lust between the two men in the shower intensified, LaFiamma stepped out of the shadows and said, "Am I interrupting something?"

 **"LAFIAMMA!"** Lundy choked out the name as he pushed himself off Browning. "How ... how long you been standing there?"

"Long enough to figure you should have said no, Levon. But you didn't. Why didn't you say no to the man?" Joe asked sadness thick in his voice.

"Because I'm the man that makes him happy, that's why?" Browning boasted walking toward Joe. "Why don't you just sit down and wait till we're done. Then I want that mouth of yours right here." Browning said pointing to his growing cock. "Yes sir, it's been a long time since I had a talented man like yourself take me down his throat."

The gun LaFiamma had in his hand came up with a violent jerk. It was aimed directly at the man's head.

"God, LaFiamma no!" Levon gasped staring at the weapon.

Joey advanced to Browning, closing the space between them. Twisting the gun in his hand as he moved, LaFiamma brought the butt of the gun up fast and hit Quentin Browning square on the jaw. The man fell like a sack of potatoes unconscious to the cement floor.

Joe turned the gun on Levon. "Don't worry cowboy. I won't kill him. You - now that is another matter."

Joe grabbed Levon's hard cock and brought the cold barrel of the gun up to the cock's head.

Lundy's jaw went tight, his eyes wide.

"I guess I should have told you that I killed a guy once because he was unfaithful to me." Joey said calmly moving the weapon slowly down the length of his partner's cock. "'Course it was during Marine training, so everyone thought it was an accident. He swore he was mine. Bragged about how he belonged to me. But I caught him with his cock in someone else's ass. And someone else's cock in his ass. I could have just shot his balls off. But decided it was better to just kill the varmint. The Marines trained me very well, Levon. I could kill you right now, and then kill him and make it look he accidentally killed you while making love ... then killed himself in remorse. I was very good at what I did, Levon."

"LaFiamma! Damn it, you're scaring me man." Levon yelped as the gun barrel moved down into his balls. "You moved out here so we could work out being together. Don't blow it away."

Joe's head jerked up. Looked into his partner's terrified face. "Not exactly a good choice of words here, Levon."

A shiver went through the cowboy as the gun barrel moved up his rib cage to a nipple and then to his chin. "Tell me why you didn't say no to this man."

"I .. can ... can you back off with the gun... please." Levon rasped. This was a side of his partner he'd never seen before. A side he sure the hell didn't want to know.

The gun traveled back down his ribs and came to rest in the soft spot between his balls. Not exactly where Lundy wanted it but it was better than at his chin. "Like Browning said. He's been fucking me for a long time. Knows all the right buttons to push."

"And?"

"OKAY! OKAY! I don't know why I didn't just shove him off and walk away. You and I weren't doin' it ... and I wanted it. I wanted it bad."

Joey's cell phone chirped in his inside jacket pocket. He switched gun hands and answered it. "Yeah, Chicken. Are they back? Ask the man named Guthrie to come to the phone. Don't tell him who it is!"

Joe waited while the black man walked to the booth. He could hear the noises of the grill in the background. It was much busier than when he was in earlier and he knew Guthrie would wonder who the hell knew he was even there.

"Yeah, Colonel. It's Joe LaFiamma." Joe smiled at the reaction on the other end of the line. "You still looking for a fourth man? Is it the Chandler family? Tony tell you I was an usher in their wedding? Go play pool. I'll be in a bit."

"Guess we won't be having that little talk when I get home tonight, huh?" Joey said taking his handcuffs out of his back pocket. "Give your hand!" He said grabbing it roughly and slapping a cuff on it, locking it. When he grabbed for the other hand, Levon jerked it back. Joey slammed his partner roughly up against the wall and received no resistance when cuffing the other one.

"This has nothing to do with us being partners, Lundy. We're damn good at what we do. Have the best record of captures for the whole damn police force. But now that I know you didn't defend me and think of me of just being a cocksucker who can satisfy you're every whim... well, maybe you just shot those five years of work down this drain. Put your hands up. Higher!" Then Joe grasped his partner around the hips, lifted him and dropped the cuffs over the showerhead that jutted out of the wall, Lundy's toes barely touched the floor.

"DAMN IT! LaFiamma! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME HERE LIKE THIS! Joe!" Levon screamed as he watched Joe picked up Quentin Browning and carry him out of the barn.

"You better hope your lover here comes conscious before you lose consciousness or your hands start to break apart. I'm leavin' town for a few days. If you're still around when I get back ... reckon I'll probably see you again. Will anyway.. you got stuff of mine here."

Joey holstered his gun and turned his attention to Browning. Blocking his mind from Levon's cursing.

He grabbed Browning under the armpits and dragged him out to his trailer. He leaned him up against the trailer and looked inside the truck cab, grinning when he saw a six-pack of beer. One can open and on the dash. Joe walked to the fence where Lundy's jeans hung and helped himself to the handcuffs in one of the back pockets. Walking back to his partner's friend, he dragged the naked man to the passenger side, opened the door and poured two cans of beer over the man. Then he lifted Browning and laid him across the front seat. A wicked grin crossed the Italian's face as he walked around to the driver's side. The grin widened as he handcuffed one of Browning's ankles to the truck's steering wheel. He poured out two more beers on the grass and threw the empties into the front seat.

Joe stood there for a moment then jogged to where he threw the cans that he'd poured on Browning and walked into the barn with them.

"LaFiamma, thank god! You came back." Lundy rasped.

"Thought you might need something to stand on cowboy." Joe said walking to his partner, lifting one foot and then the other to put a beer can under each one. "Course if you fall off them... then it ain't my fault.. right?"

"You can't leave me like this! Joey, please!"

"Would you rather I shot your balls off, Levon? "

"Joey, god I love you, don't do this."

"I love you too Levon Lundy. More than life itself. Have taken a bullet more than once for you and probably will again. But this isn't about work cowboy. This is about loving, and being true to the one you said you wanted in your life."

* * *

Joe parked the Cobra in Chicken's parking lot right next to a black Land Rover. He peeked in through the black tinted windows and saw the shotgun in a holder between the driver and passenger seat. He lightly touched the emblem on the side panel - "Texas Bond Company." He had read in the Houston business news that a retired Marine colonel had recently purchased the company and was going to expand it into a security/protection/bounty hunter conglomerate. Grinning he walked into Chicken's, made his way through the crowd of cops and locals to the three men dressed in black playing pool.

Chicken watched LaFiamma enter. Something had changed about the man. Chicken noticed right away that LaFiamma had ignored him when he walked it. In five years, Joe had never failed to say hello when he entered the restaurant. Now he walked past as if Chicken wasn't even there.

It wasn't only Chicken, but several cops noticed that LaFiamma didn't speak to them as he past. They watched as he went into the pool table area and warmly greeted the three men there. They were equally shocked when Joe kissed one man on both cheeks and did a very elaborate hand shake with the other two. When the handshake with the older man was done, Joe pulled the man into his arms for a tight hug. Momentarily pausing to suck an ear lobe before letting go.

As he looked at Colonel Guthrie, Joe said in a bare whisper. "The next thing I want is your ass, old man."

"Excuse me Joe," Chicken said coming up behind the men. "You and your friends care for a beer."

Colonel Guthrie looked at Chicken and said, "You wouldn't happen to have any Chardonnay, would you?"

"Matter of fact I do. I order it special for Mr. LaFiamma here." Chicken said nodding to Joe.

"Well then. Two beers for Tony and Allen LaFiamma here. And two glasses of wine for Joseph and I. Do you have a private office we could use? We have something to discuss with Joseph."

Chicken looked at Joe, needing confirmation from the man before he said yes.

"It's okay, Chicken. These two are cousins,": Joe said pointing to Tony and Allen. "And this is Colonel Guthrie, my old C.O. from the Marine Corps. He just purchased the Texas Bond Company."

Chicken's hand came up, pointing to the man and he said, "I read good things about you and what you plan to do with that company. Hope it all works out."

"I hope it works too. And it will if I can get Joseph to come on board with me. Now I am afraid we are on a time schedule, so if we could use your office, it would be appreciated."

Joe lead the way to the office, but Chicken's hand on his shoulder kept him from going in. "Help me with the drinks Joe, would'ya?"

"What's the trouble Chicken? You never needed help before?"

"Going to ask you the same thing Joe. First time in five years ... you walked in here and didn't say hello to me."

"Had a lot on my mind."

"Something happen at the ranch?"

"Yeah. Something happened at the ranch." When Joe saw that Chicken wasn't going to move anywhere with the beer and wine until he got an answer, he said, "Found Levon and Browning fucking each other under the shower in the barn. Having a right good old time they were too."

"Last time I found a lover doing that I killed 'im. Don't look so shocked Chicken. You know there is a lot about me you don't know. Don't worry I didn't kill Levon. Though about now, " Joe said looking at his watch, "he might wish I had." Joey took the glasses, the bottle of wine and the two beers and walked into Chicken's office.

"If you guys don't mind," Joe said to the three, "We need to blow this place before I get arrested for pistol whipping a dude I found fucking my partner. And before my partner is found hanging by his balls in his barn."

"Can we take the drinks?" Tony asked.

"Leave the drinks," Guthrie said. "We'll go to the TBC office. I want to show Joseph the place anyway and we need to lock up the Cobra because he is coming with us."

Guthrie opened the office door. Joe moved up behind the man rubbing the hardening ridge in his pants against the man's black jeans. The Colonel swallowed, "Damn Joseph, not here."

"Where then?" Came the husky question. If only he'd been this hot for his partner, but one look at his old lover, Colonel Guthrie, bending over making a pool shot had given Joe instant warmth in his groin.

The two former lovers followed the cousins out into the darkness. Tony and Allen got into the Land Rover. Guthrie and Joe got into the Cobra. Joe followed Tony through streets to just outside the Third Ward. The building was not descript, with no name on it anywhere that he could see. No lights indicating it was a historic place, just a street number above a nondescript door. The Land Rover moved through the security checkpoint into the parking garage. The Cobra was stopped short until Guthrie gave Joe a card to slip into the slot, and then the gate opened magically in front of him.

"Cool. I like that." Joe said smiling. The first smile the Colonel had seen all evening.

Guthrie showed Joe where to park his car, but made no move to get out when the Cobra stopped.

"Sir?"

"Don't you think you need to call 911 now... before you are up for murder? I want you to work with me Joseph. I don't want to have to hide you."

"Yeah, okay." Joey said, turning the Cobra's radio to an awful cowboy station before dialing 911 on his cell phone.

"Yeah, hell-low....I live acrost from 4079 Highway D and they is having some kind of drunking, shouting party over there. Naked men, beer and who knows what." click.

"Satisfied."

"Yes! Missed you." Guthrie said his left hand lightly touching Joe's chin.

Joseph took Colonel Leland Lorenzo Guthrie's hand and placed it on his pants. Joe moaned as the hand cupped the hard organ. "We got to take care of this LuLu... soon."

Joey looked at his former lover. A man he'd seduced and dearly loved during his tour in the Corps. "Give me a tour of this place." Hell, Joe admitted to himself. He still loved the man and vaguely remembered calling Levon 'Lulu' when they were in the shower.

The Colonel nodded and the two stepped out of the Cobra and walked off. As they stepped into an elevator, Guthrie explained that the first floor was offices and a law library. The second floor included a large fitness center and gym. A lap pool had been put into one end of the parking garage for those men who liked to swim. The third floor was the command center with security system monitors of places they protected. Every Land Rover had an On Star system, so they knew where each vehicle was at all times. The fourth floor had some studio apartments for people who worked here, and included an apartment for the man who was Guthrie's manservant. Everything including the elevator was monitored. Exception was the private apartments and Guthrie's top floor apartment. The command center was manned twenty four hours a day.

Joe couldn't believe the building contained all that, plus a firing range was being put into the basement.

"When did you pick up a manservant?" Joe asked as the Colonel used the same card key to open the door in front of them as he did to get into the garage.

"I was injured a few years back. Forced to retire from the Corps but still did Special Ops junkets. Martin Chase and his wife Nancy, who is a nurse, tended me. Nancy cleans my apartment here, does laundry for me and whoever is living in the apartments. Martin is a driver for us, does the cooking and some public relations ... keeps my schedule. They are good people. Nancy is originally from Houston, and is the one who encouraged me to buy the Texas Bond Company. She said it was a grand old Texas company that needed to be brought back to life."

Joe stepped into the entry way of the apartment.

It was a huge place. The living room had windows that overlooked the city below and had two sectional sofas and a fireplace. There were two small guest rooms each with their own bathroom. One large master bedroom with a massive king-size bed. The master bath had a shower big enough for two, or even three. Plus a Jacuzzi tub and double sinks. The dining room was large enough to seat twelve comfortably, and the kitchen was a gourmet cook's dream.

"You can look in the kitchen later," Guthrie said slipping his arm around Joe's waist and steering him back towards the bedroom. "We can listen to the police radio while you play with me... just like the old days. I have really missed you Joseph. Wanted to let you know I was in town but I wasn't sure you'd be glad to see me. Watched you one day with your partner. Picked up things between you. Didn't want to spoil what I saw happening. Though I wished it was me."

"Lundy and I are just partners. We tried being lovers, it didn't work. At least it didn't work for me. I kept seeing you."

LaFiamma followed Guthrie into the bedroom, closing the door behind them. "Don't we need to be somewhere? Don't you need to get my Lieutenant's permission for me to go?"

"What's her home number?" When Joe gave it to him, Guthrie called and spoke briefly to her.

" Lieutenant Beaumont. Colonel Leland Guthrie, US Marine Corps. I believe you have in your file a letter from the President of the United States that gives me the power to call up Sergeant Joseph LaFiamma at any given moment. That moment arrived tonight. I picked him up earlier this evening and he is with me now. We are awaiting with others for a military flight to Latin America where a missionary family has been abducted. This family has ties to the White House. Joseph knows the family so it is essential that he goes. He will be back ... when we are back. You of course are not able to tell anyone this until the group is rescued as it may endanger their lives as well as ours. If you do not have a copy of that letter, I can have my secretary fax it to you immediately."

Joey was grinning and fanning himself with his hand. Guthrie rattled that off so fast he hoped Beaumont understood it.

"She wants to talk to you."

Joe was shaking his head no, but Guthrie was nodded yes.

"Lieutenant. Yes ma'am. Lundy's what?" Joe swallowed as he listened to his Lieutenant say that Quentin Browning was found stone drunk and handcuffed to his steering wheel - by his foot no less! The man can't remember anything that happened after he unloaded his horse. And Levon was found hanging by his wrists standing on a beer can in the barn.

"Well, Lieutenant, I don't know how to tell you this. But .. I came home early from my board meeting and found Browning and Lundy drinking beer and having a shower together. Their muddy clothes draped on the corral fence. I got no clue how they got themselves handcuffed like that. They were having a pretty good time in the shower. I did notice that Browning had an open can on his dash. Must have been drinking when they left Chicken's earlier in the evening. Lundy's all right, isn't he? While I was out there I got a call from Colonel Guthrie ... said I was needed on a junket ... ah no Lieutenant, it's a rescue of sorts." Joe smiled. "Yes, ma'am, I will try to be careful."

* * *

Lundy sat wrapped in a blanket while a paramedic tended his raw wrists. He frowned upon seeing Beaumont's car drive up next to the ambulance. He wasn't sure just what he was going to say to her. He couldn't bring himself to say it was his partner who strung him up.

Beaumont looked at the wounds and then asked the medic if he could speak with her detective alone. "You want to tell me what happened? I already have Joe's side of the story."

"You talked to Joe?"

"Some Marine Colonel called just as I was leaving to come here. They picked Joe up tonight right after he left here."

"How the hell can they do that?"

"There is a letter in his file saying he can be called up if they need his specialty. It is some kind of a rescue mission and Joe knows the people so he has to go. Now what happened here?'

"Stupidity. Stupidity happened here."

"Joe said he came home early and found you and Browning in the shower. Said Browning had an open beer can on the dash. Looked like he was driving drunk. Said the two of you were having a very enjoyable time in the shower! Did LaFiamma do this to you? Didn't he just move out here? What is going on Levon? Talk to me."

"An unknown assailant did it."

"Levon."

"Jo ... I can't tell you. Browning and I only had a couple of beers. Don't know if he was drinking and driving. I was driving my own vehicle. We got here. Took out the horse he bought and put it in the corral. We were walking in the corral and slipped on the mud, got out of our clothes and went into the shower in the barn to get the mud out of our hair. Didn't want it tracked in the house. We were horsing around. Next thing I know'd I have hangin' like the cops found me... and Browning was gone.

* * *

Guthrie and Joseph lay naked and sweaty on dark blue silk sheets. Joe was spooned up tight against Lulu's tanned buttocks. His cock still hard inside the man. Guthrie rolled pushing Joe to the bottom and he on top. Pivoting, Guthrie now faced Joseph and grinned. "Now I got you where I want you."

"You think so," LaFiamma laughed. Pulling his knees up and without losing contact, Joe tossed the man backwards.

"I got you now Colonel. Right where I like having you. With my cock all the way to your Adam's Apple."

<KNOCK, KNOCK> And in walked Martin Chase, who stopped short and stared at the two men.

Joey raised his head and looked at the man. "Remind me Colonel ... to put double locks, chains and a floor bolt on that door when we're done!"

"ah... ah... Tony said to tell the Colonel, the plane will be ready in an hour."

"Thanks." Joe replied and his attention went back to the Guthrie. Joe was aware however that the man hadn't moved. "What else?"

Guthrie moaned softly as Joe increased the groin pressure.

"Martin Chase - Sergeant Joseph LaFiamma. Joseph - Martin Chase."

"He - he's your Joseph?" Martin blurt out.

"Yes Martin. He will be living here with me ... ah, us. He's ... he's coming on as a partner in TBC. Now will you ... get the hell out of here ... so we can get back to business?" Guthrie rasped harshly.

Joe waited until Martin left before saying, "Your Joseph?"

Guthrie groaned. The heat in his balls was on high alert. His ass was aching to get back to the task at hand. He didn't want to talk. "LaFiamma can we .... Shit....okay...I wake up at night sometimes ... dreaming about you ... what we had ... what I lost when you didn't re-enlist.... I wake up calling your name."

"Well, we'll have to fix that, won't we?" LaFiamma chuckled, placing his hands on either side of Guthrie's shoulders, he dipped down, his mouth opening, and his tongue probing the wanton mouth he knew would never be unfaithful. Then his cock pushed deeper, deeper, gently stroking the gland that heightened his lover's pleasure. Moans of the man under him urged Joe to go faster until sweat glistened on the Italian's chest. Seconds later he exploded deep within the man who excited him far more than the blond he was partnered with.

Guthrie grabbed Joe around the waist, fighting for control of the kiss that locked them together. He didn't want to win and rarely did. He wasn't in control here, his lover was and that was the way Guthrie liked it. He controlled everyone and everything in life. In bed - he wanted his lover to be in charge. One of the reasons he loved Joe so much. Joe was the only one who could put Colonel Leland Guthrie to his knees and make the man so hot with anticipation of pleasure to come that at times he hardened on the spot.

Guthrie moaned, his body twisted in a spasm of pleasure as his cock ejaculated on Joe's tight stomach muscles. They broke away, exhausted, falling backwards onto the sheets gasping for air.

"Hope we can sleep on this plane going down," Joe muttered as he rolled off the wet sheets and headed for the bathroom.

Joe peed, didn't flush and stepped into the shower. Guthrie peed, flushed and stepped in after Joe. Leland moved into LaFiamma's arms, forcing another kiss. "Damn I've missed you, Joe, missed you a lot."

Joe shampooed Lulu's hair just as he used to. As he did to Lundy's hair the one time they tried to make love in the shower. He soaped the man down and rinsed him off. He allowed himself to be soaped and rinsed and was amazed as his cock sprang hard at Guthrie's touch. The Colonel pulled Joe down to the shower's floor. Turning off the water as they moved. Guthrie cupped his lover's balls in his hands and took the Italian Stallion's cock in his mouth, sucking it into his throat.

"Oh jeez, Lu.lu..! Lu.lu..!" And then he was coming again. Hotter than hot. Sweet juices squirting down Guthrie's throat

"That should take the stress out of you," Guthrie said with a grin.

"Oh yeah. You'll need a broom to sweep me up and get into that plane."

* * *

Lundy moved into the ambulance and allowed himself to relax on the narrow stretcher. He looked over at Browning. He could see a lump on the man's head and wondered if he got it when he fell from Joe's blow, or in the truck when he was coming around and found his foot handcuffed to the steering wheel. That trick alone told the cowboy that Joe wasn't as mad as he appeared to be. He could have really done some bad things to Browning but he didn't. Phew did the man stink of old beer. Levon hoped that Joanne would not press charges against Joe. The man had a promising career as a law officer, he didn't want to see that jeopardized. He knew Internal Affairs would be all over him, he just hoped Browning didn't implicate Joe in what happened to him.

In the Emergency Room, Levon watched while doctors cleaned and dressed his wounds. He declined to stay in the hospital overnight. Took prescriptions for pain meds and got Estaban to give him a ride back to the ranch.

Levon didn't want to talk but Estaban did.

"Joe do this to you?" Estaban Gutierrez asked.

"What makes you think LaFiamma attacked me? He's my partner for god sake!"

"I was picking up an order for my niece at ten after seven when LaFiamma walked into Chicken's looking for you and your friend Browning. He was happy and talking with Chicken. Then he left and came back an hour later. I was back having a beer. He walked in real somber like. Didn't say hello to anyone. It was like we were all invisible. There were three military guys in black fatigues playing pool. He walked directly to them from the front door. Greeting them like long lost buddies. Even kissed one on both cheeks. Chicken went over to join them. Then the guys and Joe went into Chicken's private office ... and no one has seen them since. They left their beer and wine bottle, it wasn't even opened."

"Joe was out there. He got a call on his cell. Some Marine Colonel said he was reactivated and needed to report ASAP. He took off mad as shit. Joanne got a call from that same Colonel. Seems LaFiamma has a paper in his file signed by the President that LaFiamma can be reactivated on a moment's notice if his specialty is needed. He's going out on some mission. He knows the people, so there was no way he could get out of it. He is the only one who can identify them. They were leaving tonight. Probably are already gone. I don't know who strung me."

"That sure would explain why he walked into Chicken's all pissed off. Hell, I wouldn't want a call that told me I had to drop what I was doing and report somewhere. Hope he makes it back okay." Estaban said. "Your friend Browning doesn't seem to remember anything about what happened."

"What? Beaumont asked you to give me the third degree?" Levon challenged, Estaban usually wasn't so talkative.

"Jus' trying to make conversation, Lundy. If one of your neighbors hadn't called 911 about a loud drunken party at your place you'd probably still be hanging there."

"911 call?" Neighbors?

"Yeah. Some dude called in and said he saw some drunk, naked men roaming your place and he needed some sleep 'cause he had to be to work at midnight. Would they send someone to quiet the dudes down? Cops were at your place in ten minutes."

Levon didn't say anything after that. He knew it was impossible for any neighbors to see into his yard. You couldn't even from the street. It had to be LaFiamma. Calling in before he left the country. Maybe there is hope for them.

* * *

While they were in the shower, Martin brought clothes for each man and laid them on the freshly made bed. He had replaced the sweat drenched sheets with steel gray silk sheets and pillow cases. The quilt had been brought up and folded back. Joe's clothes were on one side of the bed, the Colonel's on the other. Martin stood in the bedroom and listened to Joe calling Guthrie's name. At last, Martin thought, the Colonel has found his lost lover. All is well in the house.

They walked out of the bathroom together. Joe gawked at the bed. "Hey Lulu the tooth fairy's been here and he brought us clothes and a new bed."

They dressed quickly and headed for the door. Joe stopped just short of the door, turned and kissed Guthrie. Then the kiss deepened and Joe used his tongue to fuck Guthrie's throat. They went to the floor as one, with Joey fumbling with Lulu's pants... getting them open... getting the cock out...still the kiss continued. Joe saw a box of tissues on a small table to the left and he grabbed for it. Grabbing a wad and handing the tissues over as Guthrie's cock erupted. Joe pulled back grinning from ear to ear.

"Just want to see if I still had it. Could get you off with just a kiss." Joey said with a smirk.

"Oh you have it, LaFiamma! Damn if you don't got it. All your eyes have to do is go to my belt and I get hard. Damn good thing I'm retired. I couldn't justify being in bed half the day if I wasn't."

Joe pulled the man to his feet. "The bed. The shower. The floor. On my lap when you sit at your computer."

"Oh NOOOOO... Not that! Joseph don't even think about that." Guthrie said as he pulled open the door.

* * *

"Thanks for the ride, Estaban. Appreciate it." Levon said as he gingerly got out of Gutierrez's truck.

"Anything I can help you with Lundy? Before I take off."

Levon looked down toward the corral.

"Help get the horses inside. Suppose to rain tonight." Gutierrez asked.

"Thanks, that would be a great help. Got Browning's horse here. Probably need to get him inside. It looks like the horse he bought is a ringer. Has painted on spots to make it look like an Appaloosa."

"No shit. How much did he pay for the horse?"

"Three thousand!"

* * *

Turning to Guthrie, Joe asked, "Who we going after?"

"A missionary, his wife and two kids. They got separated from their group and got picked up by a guerilla force. Reverend Andrew Chandler, his wife Amam..."

"Amanda Corson?" Joe quipped anxiously. "Amanda Corson Chandler? Is that who you're going after?"

"You know her?" Allen questioned. "Damn this man knows everybody."

"If you got a picture of her, I can tell you for sure." Joey said.

Joey looked at the family portrait of Amanda, Andy and Andy Jr. and Emily. "Yea, I know them. Amanda and I have known each other since grade school. I went on to Catholic high school, she went to a Lutheran high school but we kept in touch. I was an usher at her wedding."

"Uncle Mikey was right. Joey needed to be on this trip.. as much as he hates Joey going on these trips .. he told us you could identify the bodies if we don't find them in time." Tony LaFiamma, first cousin to Joe said.

"So what did you do to Lundy for catching him with another man?" Tony asked. "I know you, when you get pissed you want retribution."

"Well, I thought about shooting his balls off." Joey said. He didn't miss the look that passed between Tony and Guthrie. They both knew Sam Richardson who'd had that done to him in the Corps. "I cold-cocked Browning, drowned his naked body in two cans of lukewarm beer, then threw him into the front seat of his truck ... handcuffing his foot to the steering wheel." That brought a snicker from his cousin Allen. "I cuffed Lundy and hung him from the shower ... had him stand on two cans of beer, empty cans. Guthrie had me call 911 an hour later, and they found him before he lost feeling in his hands. Would have like to see him scream by shooting his balls off, but didn't want him to die ... just yet."

"Did you kill Sam Richardson, Joe?" Colonel Guthrie asked in all seriousness.

"If I say yes. Will you arrest me?"

"No. The case was closed a long time ago."

"The guy slept with everyone in my barracks. He told everyone of us that he was true and faithful. Anyone of us could have killed him. And five of us were on the range the day he was killed. I don't know if I killed him or not. But I was not sad that he died. Now if you guys don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep." Joe said.

"I think that would be wise for all of us," Guthrie said.

About an hour into the flight, Joey said softly, "Colonel?"

"Yes, Joseph."

"You still keep track of my brother John. How's he doing? The family never talks about him. "Joey asked quietly.

"He's doing good. He'll have nightmares for the rest of his life. 'Nam was a bad place and he did two tours there. Tony and I see him on a regular basis. He isn't locked up any more. He's on a permanent work release program."

"He still the animal lover?"

"Yes, he works on a horse farm in fact. Does real well with animals. Why?"

"Just wondering. Lundy's gonna need help with the horses ... with both his wrists bandaged. Thought John might be the one to help out. He and Levon are a lot alike. Hell, here I am playing matchmaker for my partner who I just almost killed... but don't tell John that."

"I can call and talk to him. He could be there by morning. How long since you've seen John?"

"Fifteen years."

"FIFTEEN! You haven't seen him at all since he was incarcerated at the end of the war?" Guthrie couldn't believe it. John had said no one from his family had visited him, but he never realized they had cut him off all together.

"As far as Uncle Mikey and the family is concerned, John died in the war. Mom and I were the only ones who ever wrote to him. Once Mom died... well, any letters he sent me, I never received. I'd really like to see him again."

Guthrie lightly touched Joe's face. "I'll get on the horn and talk to Martin right now."

Joey watched Guthrie get up and walk up to the cockpit, knock and go in. He closed his eyes and waited. Incarcerated since the war? Joey thought. That means he was dangerous to himself and others. Probably others. It was a hell'va war. Men trained to kill, couldn't stop once they got home. He imagined looking at John would be what he'd look like in twenty years. His childhood photos and John's were almost identical. Phone call must be taking a long time. Or else they can't get through. Then Joe heard the cockpit door open and close. Joseph looked up to see Guthrie smiling at him.

"John showed up at the Bond company shortly after we left. Martin said he carried papers from Oklahoma saying it was time to transfer him elsewhere, so I am giving him one of the apartments on the fourth floor. He doesn't really need to be locked up anymore. At one time he was a killing machine. But working with animals has brought him back into the land of the living. Being around you should help him a lot too. He'll be at Lundy's first thing in the morning."

* * *

A dull green Huey helicopter air-dropped Colonel Guthrie and his three LaFiamma's on a mountaintop in the early dawn. Dressed in black with painted faces, following a pre-mapped plan, they trudged through the jungle most of the day, not hearing anyone or meeting anyone. Late in the day they came upon a campsite that appeared to be the missionaries' main campground. The one that the Chandler's had gotten separated from. Tracks indicated that the vehicles was probably old VW buses and perhaps an old model Ford pickup truck.

It was Joe who made the observation about next meeting point. The river was on the east with no way to cross. They had come from the west, so north was the logical choice to follow. And if it was north, it would also give them a shorter distance to travel back to the mountaintop for lift-off. They pushed north not stopping to sleep or eat. They were on a time schedule that had to be met.

* * *

Lundy had a restless night. Getting up twice to take pain meds just so he could sleep.

_[Damn LaFiamma. He should have shot my balls off. I think that would have been easier. Can't maneuver with both wrists bandaged, and sprained my damn ankle fallin' off one of those beer cans he had me on. A level four sprain. Trauma doc said it would have been better to have broken it. Damn you partner. Never saw that side of you before.]_

Fooler's whinny brought the cowboy to full alert. It sounded like someone was out with the horses and he knew Browning was still in the hospital.

Struggling down the hall to the kitchen, Lundy suddenly became aware that fresh coffee was brewing. He looked at the man in the kitchen. "LaFiamma?"

"Yes." The man said looking up at Lundy with a smile covering most of his face. "John LaFiamma." The man answered extending his hand. "From the look on your face I must look like Joe. Glad to hear that. Haven't seen my little brother in fifteen years. Not since I came home from 'Nam."

"Yer ... yer his eldest brother ... John Joseph LaFiamma?" Lundy squawked in disbelief.

"That's me." John replied with a grin.

"He tol' me about you. Is real pissed off that the family doesn't recognize that you came home."

"That explains why all my letters to Joey were returned. Our mother wrote me every day. Then the letters stopped coming. It took me a year to find out she had died. So I started writing Joey, but the letters were always returned. Never understood why." Smiling he said, "Thanks! Now I know it wasn't Joey returning them."

"Sit. Have some coffee." John continued, "Got some eggs and bacon cooking. When you're done, I'll carry you out to the corral. Don't think it is wise to walk on that ankle. Where's the brace? You should keep that on while you're up. They should have given you a wheelchair at the hospital."

"Don't need a wheelchair." Lundy groused.

John laughed. "Colonel Guthrie said you were a red-neck. Joey do this to you? He always was a pistol when someone promised him something and didn't follow through." Turning back to his cooking, John continued to enlighten Lundy about his brother. "I remember when he was in the fourth grade. His teacher made the mistake of saying she loved him too... after he had blurted out that he was in love with her. Then Joey found out she was married. He put a sack full of spiders loose in her car. Who knows where he got them from, or what he had to go through to get them. It scared her so, she had to give up teaching." John said his laugh echoing around the kitchen. "Don't think she ever rode in a car again. Mom found out it was Joey who did it and punished him but never told the school. She didn't like the teacher. Thought she was too friendly with the kids. The eggs okay?"

"Eggs are good. Everything is good." Lundy said his mouth full of hot raisin toast and coffee.

"If I talk too much, just tell me to be quiet. I've worked on a horse farm up in Oklahoma for the last five years, and I've gotten so used to talking to the animals like they are people that when I am around people I don't know when to shut up."

"Well, John. You've talked more in the last ten minutes, then Joey did his whole first year here. He keeps to himself."

"That's one of the bad things Joey does. He holds all his hurts inside. They boil inside until they burst. I know he feels guilty about our father's death. Killed in a drive-by shooting. Dad died but Joey didn't. Plus we lost a brother to suicide... Joey's fraternal twin. Hard for a youngster to take that all in. Real hard."

"Joey had a twin?" Levon said pushing himself away from the table.

"Not an identical twin. Fraternal. Two separate eggs. Still they were together day and night. Until just before their eighth birthday. Joey was invited to a cousin's house for a sleep over. Jay wasn't invited. It was rare that Joey went anywhere without Jay, but have a feeling Joey wanted to start being on his own. Anyway, Mom was in the kitchen baking. She was always baking. It's why Joe's such a good cook. She started him cooking early. She heard a gun go off. She knew the guns were locked up, thought maybe it was a backfire. Finally called me. I was out in the garage tinkering with a car. I hadn't heard it. We went into the study.. Dad's old study. Found a pillow smashed through the glass of the gun case. Jay was the only other boy home so we knew it had to be him. We started on the first floor.. finally found him in the attic. He'd taken a .45 Colt that belong to our Dad, put it to his head.. between his eyes and pulled the trigger."

"OMIGOD!"

"Joey had to be sedated for a week. He went to the funeral in a wheelchair. Don't think he was conscious really for about a month. Then one day he woke up and said he brother was dead. Since then, he's kept everything locked inside. It's one of the things I want to talk to him about. Not good to keep things bottle up. Not good at all."

* * *

Evening was approaching fast and their time was running out when Joey heard crying. The foursome crept closer to the voice and peered out through the brush to a clearing about ten feet square.

"Don't cry, Mommy. Jesus will find a way to get us out." Little Andy Junior said kneeling next to his mother.

Joey immediately started scrapping some of the black off his face, from around his eyes and nose. "Allie we need to find a way out for them. Whoever cleared that - whoever put them there had to get out."

Seconds later an American finch sounded, and Joe, Tony and Guthrie headed toward the sound. In the clearing, Amanda Corson Chandler heard the sound too.

As loudly as she dared, she called, "JOEY!"

Tony made a face. "Don't tell me you taught her that one?"

"Yeah. I did, and it looks like it's a good thing too."

The group dressed in black stared down the narrow path that lead to the clearing. After making sure the perimeter was clear and no one was around, Joey moved into the brush to the edge of the clearing.

"Oh god Joey!" Mandy cried. She started to run but his hand halted her.

Sergeant Joseph LaFiamma who should have been sitting in Houston doing paperwork, catching thieves, was instead standing in a remote jungle area wide open for anyone to take down. Holding his hand open in front of him, his fingers pointing directly at her, his thumb to the sky, he said, "Amy. Send your kids out one at a time. Right down this path... have them keep their eyes on my hand. Tell them not to step off the path but to come directly to me. Send Emily first."

Emily was almost to him when Joey whispered, "Run!" He stepped aside as the eight-year-old girl ran into Colonel Guthrie's arms.

"Now - Junior." Joey said calmly. "Then as soon as he is here Amy you start."

Then it was Reverend Chandler, who just stood where he'd been standing and didn't move.

"Damn it, Andy, come on!" Joey gasped, "We have a schedule! If we miss it we'll all be here forever!"

"Joe! I - I lost my glasses. Didn't want Amy to know. I can't see without them!"

"S-H-I-T!" Joey roared. He spun on his heels and was met by Tony who flew past him down the path. The men watched as Tony slung the pastor over his shoulders in a fireman's carry and waddled down the path towards them.

They regrouped in a thicket and explained the situation to the Chandlers. Andy Jr. thought the face paint was pretty neat, and did his sister's face after Joey had finished with his. The Colonel unfolded their map and with Amanda's help a shorter route to their rendezvous spot was found.

* * *

The Colonel and his group got to the rendezvous point three hours ahead of schedule. It was Andy Jr. who heard the helio coming up the ridge, but the LaFiamma's kept the group undercover and only Guthrie ventured to the edge of the clearing. The chopper was not friendly and Guthrie lay close to the ground listening to the angry voices onboard. The Chandlers had been discovered missing when food was brought, but tracks of them had been lost in the jungle. The chopper was checking mountaintops; sure they must have had help getting out.

Back in the brush, Joey asked Andy Jr. if he had any kind of a radio or tape recorder.

"I haven't used it much I've been saving the batteries." Andy said, handing the small recorder to Joey.

"Allie, you still carrying that flare?"

"Joey, you can't use it! We might need it..."

"Look! The chopper coming for us in already in the air. If it sees the flare it will think we need help and they are right. Tape this to it and the guys here will pick up on Chandler's voice and head that way long enough for our guys to get in and pick us up."

Guthrie voice stirred them into action. "Do it! The guys up there are hanging here too long. Let Tony do it, he's the fastest runner here." As expected the enemy helicopter took off.

They lay in the jungle and waited, listening to the sounds around them, intensely listening for the sound that would airlift them to safety. Suddenly Tony's harsh whisper shook them all, "Amanda, LOOK OUT! Shit. Joe."

Joey stared at the multi-colored lizard that hung down from a branch. He'd been watching the thing for awhile and didn't realize it wasn't part of the tree until Tony shouted. He sprung from his crouched position to intercept it before it landed on Amanda's back.

Tony watched Joe grab the lizard and throw it into the brush behind them. Then he was on his feet pulling Joey to the ground going over his person checking for holes in his clothes. Pulling out his shirt, checking for any marks on his skin.

"What the hell you doing' cuz?" Joe asked confused on what all the fuss was about.

"That thing is poisonous Joe. Got to make sure it didn't get you."

"Tony. I'm wearing three layers of clothes!"

"I was wearing three layers of clothes three years ago when one got to me. Damn near died four days later. You sure you didn't feel a sting or anything. That tongue was out and whipping fast."

"I can't tell you if I did or not. It happened so fast." Joey said trying to replay in his mind if the sting he'd felt came from the beast or the tree as he felt into it when he tossed the lizard over his head. "Listen! I think I hear our taxi arriving."

What the group didn't expect was the early arrival of their transportation out. Not one chopper but two. The Chandler's boarded one and Guthrie's group began to board the second when Andy Jr. began insisting that Joey ride with them. Joey explained that it wasn't possible for people to know who rescued them because then the bad guys would know who they were, and they wouldn't be able to do it again.

A child's wisdom looked at Joey... "That's why there are never any pictures of you in the newspaper, right? I see your name but never any pictures!"

"Yup, no pictures." LaFiamma whispered, "and no names either little Columbian man or Joey wouldn't be able to get another kid out of the jungle when they take a wrong turn."

* * *

John LaFiamma picked up Levon's dishes off the table and put them in the sink. Then he picked Levon up in his arms and carried him outside to the corral.

"Holy Cow!" Levon exclaimed, "What happened to Browning's horse?"

John looked sheepish. "He rolled in manure in his stall. I - I hosed him off this morning... and a whole lot of his spots washed away."

"HA..HO..HA..HAHOHA!" Lundy started laughing and couldn't stop. He would have fallen over if John hadn't of caught him. John told him to stay put and disappeared into his camper, and came out with a folding lounge chair.

"Here Levon. Sit. You okay."

"Oh John... John!" Levon said laughing. "My friend Browning.. paid three thousand dollars for this horse ... this Appaloosa!"

"THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS? This ain't no Appaloosa - never was. They got distinct markings." John said.

"John.. you don't understand. Browning prides himself. Brags about how he knows horseflesh."

John got it. "Three thousand big ones... for a horse painted to look like an Appaloosa. This truly was a painted pony!" John said with a smirk.

Their eyes met and something sparked between them. A true friendship for each man brought together by animals they both loved. It was the first time that John LaFiamma had nothing to say.

"If you're going to be taking care of me, best move your stuff into my guest room. No need for you to be living out here in this camper." Levon finally said.

"It's been a long time since I stayed in a house, Levon." John said quietly.

"Where were you living in Oklahoma?"

"Been in a minimum security prison for the last five years ... with day privileges and some weekend privileges.... I was trained to kill in Vietnam. I was a sniper. Dropped behind enemy lines with assigned targets to kill. I was very good at it Levon." John said reaching up to scratch Fooler's neck who had come over to nuzzle his shoulder.

"They train you to kill, but they don't untrain when the war is over. Five years after the war I was still killing people. Two were in self-defense. Went to jail for a couple of years for another one. Did some work for the CIA Covert Operations. It was on one of those operations that I meet Colonel Leland Guthrie. He was a mean shit of a man. A real tough Marine."

"Colonel Guthrie? Joey's C.O.?"

"That's the man. One bad shit! You didn't want him in your face if you screwed up. You sure didn't!" John said. The conviction in his voice indicated he knew first hand what it was like to have this Colonel in his face..

"Joe's on a mission with this guy... right now. They called him on his cell when he was here last night."

"Guthrie's still tough," John said, "but our Joey tamed him. Seduced him in the showers one night... so the story goes. Took some of the man's meanness away, but not his fighting edge. I reckon the Colonel will want Joe back in his bed once he finds out Joe's available."

"Joe tamed me too, John. I had one damn bitchy attitude when Joe was transferred down here. No man wanted to partner with me. Then this Italian was in my face. That first year ... we were working side by side one minute and coming to blows the next. " Levon said.

"Been meaning to ask you, Levon. How do you get up into the attic of your house?" John asked pointing to a window high above them.

Lundy looked at his house. He'd never noticed the window before, or if he did it didn't register with him.

"Don't know. Only stairway I know is by the back door and down to a small basement. I do know the living room and dining room didn't use to have a door between. It is a really old ranch house. Probably lots of things behind the walls."

"I'll have to call Martin and have some sounding equipment brought out see if we can find it. Must be hidden somewhere. Could be treasures up there about the origin of the ranch or the former owners. Yer right, probably behind a wall some place. Come on Levon, I'm taking you back into the house. Time to soak that foot."

"Soak....?"

"I read the directions that came home from the hospital with you. Those yellow and pink sheets of paper you left on your desk. You need to soak your ankle to help ease the swelling, and then it needs an ice pack on it for thirty minutes."

"John.. I really don't think..." Levon started.

"If Joey was here - he'd make you do it, right! So Big John is going to make you do it too." John said scooping Lundy up in his arms and walking with him to the house.

"Are all you LaFiamma's so damn pig-headed?"

**_"Every single one!"_ **

* * *

Joey had forgotten how exhausting these rescues were. He curled his legs under his butt and leaned into the Colonel, the lull of the chopper blades putting him to sleep.

"We're changing planes and flying straight to Houston and then we'll be back home again," Guthrie whispered glancing at the half-asleep officer, a hand rubbing out a kink in LaFiamma's shoulder as the young cop purred in his ear.

Joey's arm began to slowly slide down the older man's back. His fingers lightly stroking each rib as the hand slipped down coming to rest at the top of the belt.

Guthrie took a quick intake of breathe and let it out slow.

Tony and Allen sat opposite them speaking in low tones so not to disturb Joey. Once again it had proved essential to have Joe on the trip. But they knew Uncle Mikey wouldn't like the fact that Joe was once again in Guthrie's arms, in Guthrie's bed.

"Damn, Joseph! Not here!" Leland growled louder than he intended. Joey's fingers were stroking Guthrie's bare skin and it was taking every ounce the Colonel had not to grab the man.

The jolt of the landing, and Guthrie's shout brought Joey back to the present. It took him a few seconds to remember where he was. Where Lundy was. Joe looked at his cousins, than at the Colonel. Grinning Joey said, "I always did know how to seduce you, old man. Just a touch of my fingers has you screaming in pleasure."

"All this time I thought I was the seducer ..." Colonel Guthrie moaned.

The three watched Joey spring from inside the chopper to the ground outside. "Whew," Tony groused, "for a minute there I didn't think Joe was going to remember where he was."

Joey stared at the transport plane that was going to fly them back to Houston. "Is anyone else going to be on this bird besides us?" He asked.

When Guthrie gave him a negative answer, Joe said '"Okay, Ol' man. You and I are going to sit in the back of this aircraft and no one..." looking seriously toward his cousins, "is going to disturb us."

Guthrie followed behind Joe like a puppy, watching him pick up blankets from other seats and carrying them to the back. As they got to the back of the plane where two seats face two other seats, Guthrie realized what Joey had in mind.

"Joe. You aren't.... We can't....?" Colonel Guthrie gasped seeing the look on his lover's face.

"Buckle up Jethro. And take off your boots."

"Do you have to call me Jethro? Leland is..."

"Leland is too close to - Levon! And Lorenzo I don't like... and Lulu is a girl's name. And I don't like calling you Colonel all the time. Besides I found a sheet of paper in your Bible once .. of the names your parents were toying with... Leland Lorenzo.... Jethro Lorenzo ... must be Lorenzo was your father's name?"

"Yes, Lorenzo was my father, my grandfather and his father. Omigod.. Jethro Lorenzo.. I never would have made it to Colonel with that name. They'd think I was from the back hills of Kentucky."

Joey took his boots off than buckled up and waited for the plane to be airborne. While waiting on the tarmac for takeoff, Joe's stocking foot reached across and began to play, nudge the balls of the man opposite him. Guthrie just stared. His mouth opening and closing.

As soon as the plane reached cruising speed. Joe lunged at his former lover. His knees went to either side of Leland's hips, and his arms went around the man's head and shoulders. His mouth attacked with a vengeance the man who desperately wanted him, but in his mind Joe saw Lundy climbing up Browning's body his hard-on tight against the man's belly.

* * *

In the forward seats, Tony and Allen sat talking about the mission and about Uncle Mikey. Allen looked over the seats to the two men in the back. Guthrie's moans and Joey's whispered name were filtering down to them.

"I think we have to convince Uncle Mikey, that this reunion is a good thing." Tony LaFiamma said. "All these years I thought the Old Man had seduced Joe, and it was the other way around."

"Hey, Joey learned from Uncle Vinnie how to seduce a man. Joey can look at man just right and you can see the guy checking his zipper." Allen said smiling.

"Vinnie! I thought Uncle Mikey shut that guy down."

"Far as I know, still at the age of 85 he is taking the sixteen-year-old boys to his place and teaching them how to seduce a man. And if they find, like Joey did, that they really like seducing men ... then Vinnie will give you advance lessons."

* * *

Joey released Guthrie from his grip and fell back into his seat opposite the man. The Italian unbuckled his web belt. Unzipped his pants and slipped them off his hips to the floor. He ripped off his flak vest and unbutton his shirt. All the while his eyes never left Leland L. Guthrie, a man ten years older than he who progressed through the ranks to Colonel at an earlier age than most. He was a tough as nails, gung-ho Marine ... until Joey LaFiamma arrived in his unit. Then something in his nature changed.

Joey nodded, "Okay. Your turn now," he said watching Guthrie fumble with shaking hands.

Guthrie wanted this man so bad he couldn't even unbutton his own shirt. His eyes were on Joey's hard-on, sticking straight up in the air just waiting for him. He threw up his hands and looked forlornly to his lover for help.

"Take your pants down," Joe whispered hoarsely. "Then come ... wet this." LaFiamma rasped pointing to his stiff cock.

The Colonel slipped out of his black cargo pants, and folded them on the seat by the window. Then he moved to his knees in front of Joe and began to slurp, lick and wet the organ that soon would be inside him.

Joey closed his eyes enjoying the moment. Then he slipped to the floor and helped his lover spread his buns and slowly moved in and out opening the cavity so his lover could fully take him in. Guthrie's eyes widened in pain and joy as his butt slid down the shaft. Joe's mouth opened. He leaned forward his hands grabbing hunks of Guthrie's thick brown hair, pulling the man's face to him.

"Guth-er-re...give me your tongue." LaFiamma rasped huskily.

Leland Guthrie slumped against Joe's bare chest, wiggling his ass as Joe noisily sucked the tongue that his teeth held tight.

* * *

"Damn," Tony LaFiamma moaned up near the cockpit. "Listening to them go at it is makin' me hard!"

* * *

Joey gathered the man in his arms, twisted his body and laid Guthrie flat on the floor. Joe lifted the man's legs and began to vigorously pump into him. LaFiamma's hands skimmed across flesh, teasing, pinching, stroking until unintelligible words came forth from the Colonel's mouth. Joe closed his eyes for a moment and again saw Levon and Browning... Levon was climbing all over the man, not saying no. Then he looked down at Guthrie's serene face. Joe understood now why Levon couldn't say no to Browning. No more than he could have said no to Guthrie if the man had knocked on his door. Joe knew he wanted this man under him. And knowing the man had had no one since they were last together made the want even more intense. He couldn't get enough of this man once he'd seduced him in the barracks shower. Now he couldn't wait to get home and keep him in bed for a week.

It was the passion he and Levon were missing. The raw passion of wanting someone so bad that you can't sleep until he is in your bed again. Or the passion of just taking him and to hell with where they are.

One last push and Joe was ejaculating. "You're mine again Leland Guthrie. And this time you're not getting away." Joseph Anthony LaFiamma whispered hoarsely into Guthrie's face.

A sharp jerk of the plane and a sound of metal scraping brought Joey and Tony to their feet. Joe grabbed for his pants and his shirt and dressed as he headed for the cockpit. He knocked light as he zipped his pants up. He opened the door as someone on the other side said "Enter."

"Holy shit!" LaFiamma yelped as he saw what was happening. He was told their orders were to get us back to Houston as fast as possible and to do that meant refueling in mid-air. Joe asked if there was food or coffee anywhere and was directed to a galley beyond where he and Guthrie were sitting.

"If you can whip something up, bring us some too," the navigator said.

"Joey, what's going on?" Allen asked as Joe closed the cockpit door and started back up the aisle.

"We're taking on gas... there's a tanker overhead." Joey said motioning with his hands to the ceiling. "We refueling in flight. I'm going back to make some coffee - want some?"

Joey went back to his seat and sat down. He put his socks and boots back on. Found his utility belt and put that on. Tucked in his shirt, and slipped into his black flak vest. Then he took his boot and gently nudged the Colonel's bare buttocks. When he received no response, Joe knelt down and touched the man's neck for a pulse.

Guthrie's eyes flew open and he grabbed Joe's wrist. "Gotcha!"

"Jeez, Colonel. You scared the hell out of me! I thought maybe you had a heart attack!' Joey said pulling his arm back. "Want some coffee... black, no cream, just sugar?"

Guthrie nodded as he pulled himself up to a sitting position. The Colonel listened to LaFiamma opening cabinets and moving dishes. He sat on the floor assessing what had passed between them. Joe had come onto him like gangbusters, almost violently devouring him. And he found that he liked it, even though he was sure part of the roughness was due to Lundy, he was glad he was on the receiving end of the climatic finish.

"Better think about getting dressed, Leland," Joey said as he passed the man carrying a tray with four cups of steaming coffee on it. "Yours is coming up. This is for the crew in the cockpit."

* * *

Tony LaFiamma moved from his seat in the plane to Joe's seat across from Guthrie. Joey was behind them doing things in the galley, making lunch for the crew.

Tony leaned forward and spoke quietly to Guthrie. "You're going to have to tell Joe about John. If he is going to work for us, he needs to know before he comes face to face with the man. Joey is not the same as when you knew him, Colonel. He's changed a lot. A lot! He became his own man when he was transferred to Houston. It's the best thing that could have happened to him - get him away from the family's influence. He's a damn good cop and I for one would like to see him continue as one. But if he wants to work for TBC then let him. But let him make up his own mind."

Guthrie stared back at Tony. Both men seemed unaware that the noises in the galley had stopped, and that Joe was standing just inches behind Tony's seat.

"How do I tell the man I love that his brother is a hired killer. And that he works for the CIA. Since Joe's mother died, the family hasn't even acknowledged that John is alive. I know Joe knows he is, but he has no idea what the man's been through for the last fif...teen...." Guthrie's voice tapered off as he was suddenly aware of Joe's presence.

Tony turned to look at what Guthrie was staring at. "H-how long have you been standing there?" Tony gasped.

"Long enough." Joey said quietly, his eyes glaring into Guthrie's face.

"Sit, Joseph." The Colonel said nodding to the seat Tony had been sitting in. "Please. This will take some time to tell. Please Joseph."

"There are sandwiches back here," Joey said to Tony. "Take some for you and Allen and take the rest up to the crew in the cockpit."

"Sure thing, Joey. Thanks."

There was silence between the two men who earlier had shared loving.

"Just tell it like it is, Colonel." Joey finally said.

"It's not so easy, son. Your brother was and is an honorable man. I know you became a sniper because he was one. But you weren't in a war. War does tragic things to some men, and one of those men was John Joseph LaFiamma. He was a sniper. He was good at killing. After two tours there ... he was very good. He's not the same as the brother you knew. Several soldiers who came out of the war as he did were given some options by the CIA-Covert Operations Division. They would be declared dead and buried in any military cemetery their families requested. But they would live in seclusions behind walls in a private prison only going out when assignments came to them. John survived like this for about five years."

"But .. we never buried John?"

"No. Your family didn't. Your mother didn't believe he was dead. Told the Marines to take a hike and just send an address where she could write to him. She wrote to him every single day until the day before she died."

Guthrie studied Joe. The young man's face was blank, his eyes dark. "The year after your mother died ...Uncle Mikey told the family that John had died in the war... but that no body was ever recovered."

"Damn!" Joey muttered. "Uncle Mikey knows that he is alive?"

"I think so, but I don't know for sure if he does or not. Frankly, I don't think he cares."

"Get that worried look off your face, Colonel. Nothing is going to separate us this time around. I know all about your military career. I kept track of everything you did after I got out of the Corps. You know all about me and my family. We were given a second chance here... and I aim to keep us together at all costs.... Even if I have to give up being a cop."

Conversation stopped for several seconds as the pilot announced they were approaching Houston and would be landing in twenty minutes.

"Something I would like you to think about Joseph. If Lundy is fired for being caught with Browning... would you be willing to work with him in the security business if I offer him a position at TBC? He's a Texan. Lived in the area for all his life. We need someone like him onboard."

"Right now Colonel, I am so pissed off at him and I really don't know why. We were trying to be lovers, and as far as I was concerned we weren't doing a great job at it. Levon I think wants to keep trying. But we just didn't have the passion ... at least I don't have the passion... it's not like you and I together, where we just can't get enough of each other."

"You two have the best capture record and case solves of anyone - ever on Houston P.D. I'd like to see that continue here. IF you are able to work with him. He has to understand that you will not be in his bed again."

* * *

Levon sat propped up in his living room watching television. _[Man I could get used to this. John's feeding me. Takin' care of my horses. My needs. Wonder if all the LaFiamma's are like this?]_

Outside Lundy heard a truck pull into the yard. He turned in his chair and saw a huge white SUV parking near the Jimmy. Three men were getting out. "JOHN!!!"

"I got 'em, Levon. It's Martin."

"Martin?"

"He's the Colonel's ... ah... secretary."

John opened the front door and into the front hall walked three men dressed in black. The first one in, Martin Chase, was a fireplug of a man but trim with short curly brown hair and brown eyes. Lundy figured even through he was shorter than the others, he was still a force to be reckoned with. The second man was huge. Smaller than Chicken, but a black man with a military hair cut and muscles everywhere. His name was Devlin.

Levon stared at the third man. **"Ra...mos!"** He growled.

"You two know each other?" Martin asked.

"LaFiamma and I put this dude away. Didn't know he was out. Didn't know Texas Bond hired knife wielding killers! Ain't so sure Joe's going like meeting this guy."

"He and Joe have a 'set-to'?" John asked.

"Yeah. Me and Joe came upon Ramos when he was craving up woman trying to take her unborn child. Joe pulled him off the woman while I tried to administer first aid until the paramedics got there. Ramos stabbed Joe in the shoulder. Even though LaFiamma had a knife stuck in his shoulder blade he still subdued the guy. I **know** he won't be happy to find out he's working for the Bond Company! "

"The knife was stuck in Joe's shoulder and he still took the man down?" John asked in amazement. "Why to go little brother!"

Martin whipped a cell phone out of one of his pants pockets, and asked whoever answered several questions. "Pull up Mr. Ramos' application. Look on page 6 and tell me what his answer is for 14 B. ... uh, huh. Send someone out here to pick him up. He is no longer employed by Texas Bond. See to it that he is erased from the system." The phone was clicked shut and replaced in a pocket.

Levon wasn't sure what 'erased from the system' meant. The Texas Bond company or permanently.

"Cuff Ramos to the back of the Mercedes and then get back in here. We need to find a hidden stairway." Martin said to Devlin.

"Martin, You keep looking at your watch. Is it getting close to lunchtime?" John asked. "I can whip up something for everyone."

"It is past noon John. Lunch would be nice, though that is not why I was looking at my watch. Guthrie's team should be landing in Houston in about fifteen minutes. Wanted to contact the Colonel about picking up Joseph's things while we are here."

Lundy blinked. _[Joe's things. I hadn't really thought about LaFiamma moving out. Not sure I can handle that right now]_

"Levon? You okay?" John asked kneeling next to the man. "Come on, I'm taking you into the kitchen. You can help me with lunch while Devlin finds that hidden stairway and takes a wall down if necessary ... to see what is up there."

* * *

The three LaFiamma's and Guthrie deplaned and walked toward two crystal white Land Rovers with black tinted windows. Tony and Allen move toward one and Guthrie pulls Joe towards the other.

"You up to seeing Lundy today?" The Colonel asked. "Martin is there now, and I thought we could pick up whatever things you have there and move them to our place at Texas Bond."

"I don't have much at Lundy's yet. Mostly just clothes. Most everything is at my apartment." Joe answered.

Colonel Guthrie cleared his throat as they reached the Land Rover. "I -ah - had Martin move everything from your apartment to..."

"COLONEL! I liked that apartment!" Joey choked.

"After what passed between us before we left... I guess I just assumed you'd be happy to move in with me. ... you drive."

Joe climbed up into the driver's seat and waited until Guthrie was buckled in before he started the engine. Joe reached over and ran his fingertips along Leland's jaw. "Two days ago I was laying in Levon's bed trying to figure out why we didn't work as lovers. We've been partners for five years, Colonel. Not sure how this is going to work meeting him so soon, after what I did to him. Not sure I'm ready to pick up anything of mine at Lundy's yet. But I would like to drive out and meet John."

"Okay." Guthrie said. Taking a cell phone from his pocket, he called Martin and received a status report. And told him they were on their way out.

"Lundy know we're coming?"

"No. Right now John's making lunch. And they have just pulled down part of the living room wall next to the fireplace... and found the stairway to the attic."

"Hot damn! Knew there was a way up there somewhere." Joey exclaimed, turning onto the Interstate enroute to the ranch.

* * *

Levon watched John LaFiamma moving around his kitchen. Much like Joe had done. It will be strange not seeing Joe every day, Levon thought, yet he felt drawn to this LaFiamma too. Was it because he was so similar to Joe or because the gentle giant reminded him so much of himself.

John knew he was being watched, and began to get self conscious when Lundy didn't say anything. He stopped and looked down to make sure his zipper was up and his shoes were on.

"Levon? Am I doin' something wrong?" John asked as he dumped a handful of shredded carrots on top of a huge bowl of lettuce.

"What?!"

"You're staring at me but you aren't saying anything."

"Sorry. Was just watching you work... it is the same way Joe chops vegetables. Just took me a moment to realize he won't be doing that anymore."

"Blame it on our mother. Everything always had to be fresh. Had to be chopped into small chunks not large because you don't who might be at you table with bad teeth." John laughed. "No kidding... that's what she said... bad teeth. If Joe was here.. would you be staring at him too?"

"Probably be standing next to him. Watch him closer. Might run my hands through his hair. Kiss him when he drops the knife in the sink."

"Hmmm... we might have to work on that last part." John said without looking up.

Levon stood up and hopped on one foot over to the sink. He was almost there when he started to fall, but John turned and caught him pulling him close. They stared at each other. And the kiss just happened. It was soft.. lips meeting .. Levon's tongue lightly stroking John's lips which opened with an aching moan. Levon ventured inside touching John tongue.

John recoiled in fear as soon as the tongue touched his. He tried to step back but Levon held him firm. "It's okay John. It's okay."

"Can't ... can't take a tongue in my mouth. Can't ... take a cock down my throat. Almost. Died. That. Way. In prison."

"Shhh. It's okay. Like you said. We'll take it slow." Levon cooed, kissing the man lightly on the neck... then the chin... then the throat.

"Feels good..." John LaFiamma moaned softly. "Feels real good."

 **T- H - U - M - P! ...T- H - U - M - P..!** Footsteps overhead made the two men jump apart.

"They're in the attic!" John shouted. He moved to put his arm under Lundy and came face to face with Colonel Leland Guthrie.

"Colonel! Sir!" John said, almost coming to attention. "Whose upstairs?"

"Martin. Devlin... and Joseph."

"Joe's here?" Levon asked surprised that he was.

"I was just finishing up a big salad. We can all eat." John said suddenly. "Let me carry Levon into the living room." And with that he once again scooped the cowboy up into his arms and carried him into the living room with Guthrie following behind.

Joey was talking with Devlin as the two jogged down the stairs and emerged into the living room just as John was putting Levon into a chair. The two LaFiamma's stopped in mid stride and stared at each other. Time stopped for almost five minutes as the two long separated brothers had eyes only for each other. Then Joey lunged at his brother. Grabbing him. Hugging him. John lifted Joe off his feet and twirled him around. And then .. the Italian started.. and the kissing started and more chattering in Italian.

"Damn, you look good big brother!" Joey quipped with a grin, tears wet on his face.

"Got Mom's salad ready in the kitchen. You hungry?" John answered, a grin as wide as his face.

"Starved!" And the two disappeared down the hall.

No one spoke for a moment and then Martin said, "Guess we don't have to worry about what will happen when they get together."

"Guess not." Guthrie said. "What did you find in the attic?"

"Oh man, Colonel." Devlin said, "There are a couple of trunks filled with stuff. Chairs. A table. A big old sleigh bed. Some mirrors."

"Did you look in the trunks?" Lundy asked. "Can you carry them down here?"

"Trunks looks pretty old. You'll have to ask Joe what is inside but I could tell from his face it was something unusual. Not sure they can be carried down themselves. Might have to put them in something else. Bottoms might be fragile. They been up there for a lot of years."

John and Joe returned with heaping bowls of salad and toasted bagels with cream cheese. All found a place to sit and dug into their meal. Finally Levon got the courage to ask Joe what he found in the trunks upstairs.

Joe pondered the question as he thought about the answer. "One trunk ... has war memorabilia in it. From the Civil War. A blanket. Some medals. Looks like some newspapers. An officer's uniform ... with a bullet hole is folded on the top of what is inside. The other trunk ..." he looked down at his salad as if trying to figure out what to say. "Is filled with bones. From the two I looked at, I think they are human bones. Didn't see a skull but there are some wooden boxes in that trunk that I didn't open. Could be the Union officer who belonged to the uniform. Could be someone else. But if I were you. I'd call the Archeology Department at Rice (University) and let them have a look."

"And Colonel." Joe continued. "You might want to go up and look. You had some relatives, I believe, that fought for the North. You might recognize the uniform."

John, Devlin and Guthrie finished their lunch and headed up for the attic stairs. Martin stood in front of Joe and asked where his things were. He was there to take them.

" I do not want them picked up yet," Joe quipped angrily standing, "And I do not appreciate you going into my apartment and cleaning it out and moving it to Texas Bond! Unless you gave notice for me too!" He shot out harshly, "I want it all moved back in!"

Martin swallowed. "But I thought. I mean you are going to be living with the Colonel, are you not?"

"Yes. I am. But that does mean I will be there all the time. I have things here. But I wasn't here all the time either. Are you with your wife twenty-four hours a day? Doesn't she have her own space?"

Bingo! A light went on inside Martin's head. At last he understand. It was why he and his wife, Nancy, divided up their jobs for the Colonel. So they could share their day's activities, not already know them because they were side by side all day.

 **"JOEY! UP. HERE. NOW!"** John shouted from the attic.

Joe cocked his head. Got a look on his face that Levon had never seen before. Then LaFiamma sprinted for the stairs, taking them two at a time.

LaFiamma reached the top, took one look at Guthrie and asked what happened.

"He took the uniform out and laid it on the lid. Then he was looking at these newspapers and he just sort of froze in mid action." John said.

"Leland." Joe said softly kneeling next to the man. "Jethro! ... Colonel! ... **Colonel Guth-rie!** " Joe finally said louder and sharper.

Downstairs Levon asked Martin for a hand up, and to help him to the stairs. Slowly the two men worked their way to the top until they could see what was happening.

Levon got near the top of the stairs just as Joey touched Guthrie's chin with his fingers and turned the man's head his way. "Colonel. What is it?"

Guthrie blinked and fell into Joe's arms. "The ... the paper."

Joe held the man close, his fingers caressing the back of the man's neck while asking John in Italian to look at the paper.

Levon stared ahead and watched Joe holding Guthrie. He wanted to jump up and run over and shove the man away. But a hollow gut feeling echoed through him. I'm mad just because Joe's holding another man. Joe saw me climbing naked all over Browning. No wonder he went off like a crazy man.

John was reading an article on the front page of the paper about a man being shot by mistake because he was wearing a Union jacket with Confederate jodhpurs.

"Wait!" Joey said. "Read the name of the man again."

John studied the name for a second, and then said. "Oh SHIT! The name is Leland Lorenzo Guthrie! That's the Colonel's name!"

Guthrie gathered his composure and pushed away from Joe, though his hands were still shaking. Joey brought the hands to his mouth and lightly kissed them.

"Who is this?" Joe asked quietly.

"It ... it took me by surprise. Like I was reading my own obituary. He was my Great-Great-Grandfather. He fought for the North and the South actually depending on what the situation was. He was a spy. Maybe we could ask Lundy if we could take it home with us."

"Levon?" Joe said knowing already that his partner was there.

"It's up to you Joe. If you think it is connected to the bones, you might want Rice to preserve what is in that one too. Especially if the papers are that old. You and Guthrie can always go to the University to study them." Levon said looking around the attic to see what was there.

"I been involved with some home renovations," John said. "And this attic looks like it was the original house. Instead of adding to the top... they lifted the top and added to the bottom."

"We can do a title search," Martin said, "and find the previous owners. Might put some light as to how it got here."

"Could we at least take this one down to the living room?" Guthrie asked.

"Sure, no problem," Levon said softly.

Guthrie motioned Devlin to carry the trunk downstairs. Martin and Guthrie helped Levon back down the narrow stairway. At the bottom of the stairs, Guthrie touched Levon's shoulder and said. "If you ever give up being a cop and want to work with Joe again. I'd be glad to have you work for me at the Texas Bond Company. But you need to know - you won't ever again be in his bed."

John grabbed Joey's arm and began rattling off in Italian. LaFiamma stared at his big brother. The man was asking him ways to make Levon happy - sexually. John shared with Joe the same fears that he'd told Levon earlier, and told him what happened when Levon had tried to French kiss him.

Joe's laughter carried down the empty stairwell as he slowly explained how to lick Levon's cock. How to use his tongue to make the cowboy scream in pleasure. How to tantalize with the stroke of a finger. How to finger fuck a man. "Ah, can't believe I'm telling you this stuff."

With the last remark, John gasped, "You can do that. Put fingers up an ass and get someone off? Really?"

"You want any other instruction" Joey said with a grin. "We can do some hands on training in my apartment." _[Maybe this worked out alright after all. Lundy still has a LaFiamma lover. I got back the one lover I always wanted to keep.]_

* * *

Joe and Leland stepped out of the shower and walked back into their bedroom. "Everything ok, Joseph."

"Yes, everything is fine. Why?"

"This is the first time in a lot of years that you haven't taken me to the floor in the shower."

"Colonel. We flew out of the jungle this morning! You almost had a heart attack up in Lundy's attic.. and now you're mad because we didn't do mind blowing sex in the shower?"

"Yes." Came the quiet answer.

"Jeez. I think I created a monster."

When Guthrie didn't move toward the bed Joe walked into the closet. Found a small black and red box and brought it out to the bedside table. "Get in bed," Joe ordered. He opened the box and took out a dildo and padded handcuffs.

"GET. IN. BED. NOW." Joe ordered tight lipped. He grabbed the pillows and threw them on the floor, and he tossed the blankets over the end of the bed. When Guthrie wasn't moving fast enough. Joe grabbed the man's wrists and yanked him across the bed, wrapping his wrists in the sheepskins cuffs and tying him to the headboard.

"I ... I ... like how you took me on the plane. With vengeance! Angry at your lost love ... but I get the rewards. Make me scream Joseph! Let me feel you inside me... pound into me. I **want you** inside me... not that thing. Oh god Chicago, I have missed you so much. Never thought .... Never thought you'd ever be in my bed again."

Joseph LaFiamma sat back on his haunches staring at the man. He picked up the dildo off the bed and began sucking it. Curving his tongue around it until Guthrie began a low guttural moan. Then he moved forward, touching the man's anus with it. Pushing it in. Turning it on ...low and pulsating. Joe trailed a finger down the inside of Guthrie's leg, down behind the knee, across the calf to the bottom of the foot. Then up again. The same path stopping at the balls. Then another finger down the other side across the thigh. Behind the calf to the bottom of the left foot. Slow. Tingling. Tantalizing. Joe leaned forward his cock dangling hard pushing into his lover's navel. Fingers traveling ever so lightly. Suddenly Joe stopped. Slid back to his haunches and just stared at the man.

"WHAT? Why are you stopping? God, JOSEPH - don't stop now!" Guthrie cried breathing heavily.

"Today... you told Lundy if he came to work here that we would work together. Why?"

"Because you love him. Because you two work well together. Because I need both of you here. You just can't sleep with him."

"I don't want to sleep with him. I want to beat the crap out of him."

"You can take him to the gym and beat the crap out of him. Now can we get on with what we were doing!?"

"If I beat the crap out of him - I'll kill him! Colonel ... I **killed** Sam Richardson!"

"I know you did, son."

"You do? But how..."

"You were the only one on the range that day who had the expertise for a kill that far away. But I loved you. Still do. Always will. No way was I going to let them try to hang you. It was ruled an accident. A lot of firing was going on, on the base that day. You were only one of several possibilities."

Joey plopped down on the end of the bed and just stared at his captured lover. This man loved him so much he went against his own code to save his lover's life - my life.

LaFiamma moved forward, pulling out the dildo plug and throwing it across the room. Then he leaned forward and released the cuffs before moving back to the end of the bed.

Guthrie moved toward Joe pulling him into his arms. "I know how much you loved Lundy. Still do I'm sure. I have been observing you at a distance for a month. I have seen how you tenderly touch each other. How you look at each. I can also imagine the rage you felt when you came upon him and Browning. The rage you had when you found Richardson in bed with two other men. I want you to know I am here for you Joe. I will always be here for you

"I thought I loved him enough to be his lover!" Joey sobbed, "We've been partnered for five years. Lovers on and off for three months. I spent the last month starting to move into his place. I never pictured myself without him. Not sure I still can."

Guthrie reached behind Joe and pulled the quilt over them. Rolling backwards, he pulled Joe with him wrapping the blanket tight around them.

"You want to take him to bed. You can do it here. But it will only be for one last time."

"And contaminate our bed? Not on your life! I'll take him in the shower where his blood will go down the drain."

**"Joseph. You cannot kill him!"**

"Not even a little?"

"No."

* * *

John was helping Levon get ready for bed. Undressing him. Helping him on with his nightshirt. Shyly the man stroked Levon's cock just as Joey had suggested. And he was pleased to see he got a reaction.

"John? What are you doing?" Levon gasped pleasure roaring through him.

"Making you hard. Is that okay? I - I asked Joey how I could give you pleasure. How to make you come."

"And he told you?" Lundy moaned.

"I was raped in prison, Levon. But I never got to bring a man pleasure on my own. I'd like to do that with you. If you let me."

"You're... doing a damn good job right now, John." Levon gasped fumbling with his nightshirt to get it off. Unbuttoning John's shirt. "Get... get undressed. Get ... get on the bed with me."

"But I got to let go, if I undress." John said not wanting to relinquish his prize.

Levon pushed John's shirt off his broad shoulders. Undid his pants and shoved them to the floor and helped John kick them off.

They fell sideways onto the bed. John intent on his prize as he made it harder and harder. He put his mouth to it as Joey had suggested using his tongue to further excite the man. Then he wet his fingers and....

 **"OH...GOD...JOHN...OOOONNN!"** _[What the hell did LaFiamma tell this man!?]_

Lundy's butt was six inches off the bed, thrusting up, coming down. Trying hard to get more of John's fingers into him. He looked down and saw John's head, felt the man swallow his cock, heard the sucking nose. Knew he couldn't hold it back much longer. Knowing John had been taken in prison, he didn't know what would happen when he exploded down John's throat.

As the first spurt of cum started, John LaFiamma's whole body froze. Then he heard...

"OH GOD.. JOHNNNNNY. JOHNNY, DON'T STOP NOW. GOD JOHNNY DON'T STOP NOW."

John's eyes darted up to the voice and he stared into Levon's soft brown glazed over eyes and he relaxed. Someone wasn't takin' him. He was doing the takin'. He moved his torso over the top of Lundy so he could feel the joy back. Then he felt his long dormant penis grow, expand ... and then he was coming! He was coming down Levon's throat.

John roared back on his haunches and let out a bloodcurdling cry. It wasn't until Levon grabbed for his balls that John realized something was wrong. He fell forward, twisting off the man to look at him.

"Levon! Oh god, Levon are you all right! Oh god what did I do. I killed him!" John sobbed gathering the blond cowboy into his arms and holding him tight.

Levon came to, tight in John's grasp. John's tears dripping in ringlets down his bare back. "John." Levon said softly turning the man's face to his. "John."

"I'm sorry I killed you Levon." John cried between sobs "Oh man... Joey's going to kill me."

"John. Do I look dead?' Levon said hoarsely. Getting no response from the sobbing man, Lundy lightly kissed him on the cheek.

"Levon? Oh god Levon I thought I'd killed you." John Joseph LaFiamma exclaimed thankful the blond was still alive.

"Do I look dead?"

"Nooooo."

"Next time. Give me notice you're going to do that so I can hold my breath. What is it with you LaFiamma men? Joe did that to me once too. Scared the shit out of me. Thought I was going to die."

"Don't know why we do it. It's something Uncle Vinnie teaches during our lessons of learning to satisfy a man. Guess you're suppose to like it. Guess maybe we better try a different way, huh?"

"Sounds good to me John-nee."

* * *

"Can we get back to you ravaging me now?" Guthrie asked, crossing his wrists together in submission for them to be tied.

A devilish grin crossed Joe's face as he bound Guthrie's wrists. Levon hated to be tied up. Guthrie loved being the opposite he was in real life ... he wanted Joe to be in charge. Joey had called his Uncle Vinnie several times while in the Corps when Guthrie had indicated he wanted to be a slave to his lover's needs. Now Joe pulled the bound man towards the closet, forcing him to kneel away from him while he rummaged through the things that were piled in there from his apartment. Finding the black silk gag he'd used on Lundy once, Joe tied it in a knot and then sprinkled honey dust on it.

"Open." LaFiamma ordered softly. When Guthrie obeyed, Joe slipped the dusted knot into the man's mouth and tied it securely behind his head.

"Stay! Do not move." Joe ordered. "I'm doing a walk through - through this place again. See where we can play tonight."

Guthrie waited. His tongue licked at the knot in his mouth. It tasted sweet. When he sucked on it he realized what it was. _[Jeez Joseph. Not honey dust!]_ He heard the door open and watched his lover walk into the bedroom with a stack of towels in his arms. Joe walked past him into the bathroom.

"On your feet!" Joe barked roughly. Passion for the man raging through him. "Spread your legs. Lean back and put your head against the wall and don't look down!"

Satisfied the man would not be able to see what was going to happen next Joey walked back into the closet and got two very long black shoelaces, plus the jar of honey dust and its small gold duster.

Returning to his lover Joe knelt in front of him. He made a loop and slipped it over the head of his lover's cock then he pulled the cock down using the shoelaces to tie the cock to his thigh.

"NOJO!" Came a mumbled plea.

"You don't have a choice in the matter GUTH-TH-RE.. You gave authority to me remember. Now into the bathroom with you. Kneel on the towels that are in the tub. Put your hands above your head."

Joey followed his lover into the bath. He remembered wanting to do this to Levon once and the man flatly refused. He knew Guthrie's experience would be wild and intense.

Leland Guthrie walked to the Jacuzzi tub and stared at the towels placed in various places. His questioning eyes searched his lover's face for what to do next. He knelt as ordered on the blue towels on the floor of the tub. Leaned back and put his head on the yellow towels draped across the faucets and watched as his arms were pulled up and tied off at the shower head. He guessed it wasn't too bad of a position until LaFiamma grabbed one ankle and then the other stretching him almost prone across the tub. Leland gawked wide-eyed as his ankles were secured under crimson towels to gold handholds on either side of the Jacuzzi.

Joe grinned at his handiwork. Leaning close, he said, "I'm checking the door to make sure it locked. Don't want Martin walking in on us again."

Joey found paper, pen and tape in the small desk by the bedroom door. He wrote 'DO NOT DISTURB' in big letters and taped it to the front of the bedroom door. Then he closed and locked the door plus tilted the desk chair under the door.

Before going back to his lover Joe walked to the huge walk-in closet that was almost as big as his apartment's loft bedroom. "Could easily sound proof this and use part of it for a play room. Like to hear the man scream when he comes." Joe mused.

Joe stood in the doorway watching his lover. He could see the tie-down was working even though he had yet to touch the man. Guthrie was right. Joe still has feelings for Levon, and probably always will have. But going to bed with Levon had been like going to bed with one of his brothers. Going to bed with Guthrie was joy, passion, and lust all rolled into one. He desired the man and wanted to bring him off every waking minute of the day. Maybe what happened between him and Lundy was a good thing.

Guthrie was startled by the touch of flesh to his underarm. He hadn't heard Joe return. His body was starting to ache. It had been a long time since he'd been tied down and never in this position. His eyes closed at the sensation of his lover's cock trailing down his side all the way to his foot. He choked on the honey dust drifting off the knot in his mouth. The sweetest of it heightened his pleasure.

"How you doing old man?" Joe cooed as he stepped into the tub kneeling on the towels there as he put his tongue to the tied-down cock.

"MMMMPHF!" Guthrie moaned as he heard his lover's loud slurp and felt the wetness on his cock. His cock that had no place to go. His cock that was roaring full speed downhill and hitting a brick wall. He arched. His legs strained against the bonds holding him, he felt, then watched through silted eyes that same tongue working its way up to his mouth. Leland Lorenzo Guthrie's emotions cascaded over him. He was back with the man he loved. Really loved! His family, what was left of them, would never understand him giving himself fully to a man like this. If he ever suffered a heart attack he knew it would be during love making. Joe was intense and so was he. They didn't hold back anything when they made love. Sometimes it was violent the way they came at each other. Other times they had been like innocent school boys.

Joe ripped the gag off and dropped it into the tub. "Hey New Yorker boy. You still with me?"

Guthrie's tongue tried to touch the knot and discovered it wasn't there. His eyes shot open and he discovered Joe was inches from his face. "Can't wait ... until ... you're in me." He gasped.

Joe blinked. "I **am in you** New York boy....you so high you don't feel it." Pushing his hips slower, causing more friction for a reaction from the man. "Looks like we are going to have to put a soundproof booth around this tub before we do this again. Love the sounds you make when you're high."

LaFiamma stretched his hands forward, slowly massaging his lover's biceps. He was sure the man was hurting by now though he made no request to be released. Joe reminded his lover he had the option to say 'enough' but he got a sharp 'no' reply, so Joe went back to kissing the man.

Somehow between undressing and tie down the colonel sneaked a breath mint in his mouth, now Joe licked the taste of the peppermint off his lover's tongue. Curled his tongue down the man's throat as his left hand reached low and released the captured cock. It flung upward, the shoelace hitting Joe in the ribs. His tongue pushed deeper as his hand struggled to get the loop off the head, then he pulled it between their stomachs rubbing his ribs across the hard organ as he pumped into his lover's ass.

"JOSEPH! OMIGOD WE'RE COMING!" Guthrie shouted. Glad, so glad to be in his lover's arms once more.

* * *

Levon woke slowly. He reached over for LaFiamma and then remembered it was John not Joe that had gone to bed with him last night. He listened to the voices he heard and then decided John must be watching some porno flick, though as far as he knew he couldn't get that station. He sat up in bed and swung his legs over the side. Scanning the room he saw his nightshirt precariously hanging off the corner of the dresser. "Mmm, must have been in one hella'va hurry to get me. Or me him." When he heard John laugh, he knew he had to see what the man was watching before he showered.

"John?" Levon called hobbling barefoot into the living room.

"Levon, I didn't mean to wake you. Wanted you to sleep. I - I was kind of rough with you last night."

"No rougher than Joe has tried to be. Don't worry about it. Wha' you watching?"

"It's a snuff film I bought a couple of years ago... on the Internet. Got two for a dollar each. Like this one the best. Maybe we could try some of this stuff."

Levon turned and looked at the TV. The tape was running in his VCR and as he watched the film all the color drained from his face.

Suddenly John touched the remote and paused the film. "This here is my favorite guy in this film. I watch this section so much it'll probably wear out before the rest of it. This guy dressed up in a doggie suit. I just love him."

"John." Levon said evenly, trying not to faint, scream or go mad. "Where did you buy this?"

"On the Internet. This filmmaker has tons of stuff like this. He travels around to places and has people act out things for him and he films them doing it."

"Levon?" John asked, seeing the man's face was white as a sheet. "Levon. You alright? If you don't like this stuff. I'll turn it off." John looked back at the film. He knew he could watch it in his camper and that wouldn't bother Levon if he did it privately, cause he really like this guy in the .....

"GOD - Levon! Is that you in the doggy suit?" Johnny LaFiamma exclaimed pointing to the man on the screen. The man he loved in his favorite movie - was standing right in front of him.

Lundy stared at the television screen. He'd been involved in that all-male party four years ago. He didn't know they were taking pictures. John caught him as he stumbled forward.

"I - I didn't know they were taking pictures. I didn't! Oh god, anyone at Houston P.D. sees this... I'll be forced to resign."

"Why?"

"WHY? John ... that kind of behavior ... same sex love is highly frowned. There are some officers who would beat the crap out of me if they knew I liked men. Hell, there are some vice cops that would break my door down and just come help themselves to me! If Browning gave any kind of a report on what he and I were doing ... I will probably get my walking papers in the mail."

_[Nobody is takin' you Levon! Nobody! Not while I'm around, and I ain't leaving any time soon.]_

The ringing phone made both men jump. John clicked the film off and hit the Eject button as he crossed to the dining room to answer it.

"Lundy residence. .. Pardon ma'am. John Joseph LaFiamma. Eldest brother of Joe LaFiamma." John said, mouthing the words 'Lieutenant Beaumont.' "Just a minute ma'am. I'll have to help Levon to the phone."

Lundy's head hung low as he heard Joanne tell him that he was being terminated. He listened while she repeated what Browning had told Internal Affairs of their long term relationship... and about the film they had made.

"F-film?" Levon muttered in innocence. "God, Jo, I swear I didn't know they were taking pictures. It was suppose to be an all-male stag party. I understand. Listen Joanne, I don't want you to worry about this. Don't want my foolishness to bring down your career. Just have LaFiamma pack up my stuff and .... What do you mean Joe resigned? There ain't nothing against him."

Lundy smiled as his old partner and boss, former boss now, told him of answering the door at seven o'clock this morning to LaFiamma and two others who Brad referred to a spooks. They were all dressed in black boots, black cargo pants or black fatigues, black shirts and flak vests. She said stuff hanging off Joe's belt included the most recent stun gun she'd only seen in pictures. Pepper spray, and the biggest damn flashlight she'd ever seen in her life. Plus he was wearing his guns in plain view. Said Colonel Guthrie had presented him with an offer he couldn't refuse. That he got to kick down doors, and it was perfectly legal too. Levon couldn't help but laugh at the picture she was presenting of his partner.

"Just leave a note for LaFiamma and have him pack up my desk too. I'll get it from him. But ... what about our vacation time... will we get paid for that." Levon hung up the phone and looked at John.

"They terminated you because of this film?"

"Yeah."

"How'd they know about the film"

"Browning told them. He's in it too. From what Joanne .. Lieutenant Beaumont said, Browning knew they were filming it."

"Bastard!'

"My thought exactly. Speaking of which, I think the bastard is getting out of a cab right now."

"Leave him to me," John said moving off the door jamb he was holding up.

Lundy caught his hand. "No rough stuff. You can't kill him."

"Only if he makes a pass at you. Or hurts you. Then it will be self defense." John said with a grin jogging toward the back door.

Levon hobbled into the guest room, pushing a chair close to the window. He opened it then sat down in the chair to listen.

John never broke his stride once he reached the outside. He jogged up behind Browning and said, "May I help you sir?"

Quentin Browning whirled around, startled by the unfamiliar voice. "Who are you?"

"I've been assigned to assist Sergeant Lundy in the recovery of his injuries. You the dude that strung him up?" John LaFiamma said tightly.

Quentin swallowed. The cops asked him the same question. The doctors asked him the same question.

"Well, are ya?" John demanded.

"I don't know. LaFiamma slugged me when he found me and Lundy doing it in the barn. I don't remember anything after that."

"Doing it?" John asked innocently.

"We were **naked**! Climbing all over each other. Kissing each other. You got a problem with that big boy." Browning growled standing his ground. This man looked vaguely familiar but he couldn't place where he'd seen him before. "Now if you don't mind, me and Levon have some unfinished business."

"Levon ain't up to company yet. He's on crutches, and pretty much has to be carried from place to place."

Quentin stepped back a pace as John stepped forward.

"What the hell did LaFiamma do it him?"

"Strung the cowboy up by his balls, he did!" John replied biting his tongue to keep from laughing. This Quentin Browning was the dumbest dude he'd ever met.

"By the...the..." Browning was in shock.

* * *

In the house, Levon had to touch his genitals to make sure they were okay. Listening to John almost made him believe that he had been hung that way.

* * *

"Maybe you want to have a look at that horse you left here. Don't know how much you paid for it, but it ain't a true Appaloosa."

Quentin looked at Fooler and the other horse, than raced into the barn and came out again. "Okay, what the hell did you do with my horse!"

"This here Paint is your horse!" John replied pointing to the brown and white horse standing next to Fooler. "Night before last it rained. I was giving Levon therapy when I remembered the horses were out. Came out here and couldn't believe what I saw. Stuff was running off him. When I got him into the barn and started to dry him off, the color was all over the towels. I saved the towels if you want to see them."

Quentin was speechless. He'd been had. Three thousand dollars had. "I ain't got no use for a Paint. Tell Levon he can do whatever he wants with the thing. I'll take the trailer back to the rental place and head back to Dallas. How long before you think Levon will be able to have visitors?"

"Hard to tell. What is your reason for visiting him?"

"Like I told you before, I have unfinished business with him!"

"I am afraid Mr. Browning that your unfinished business is finished. You are no longer welcome here."

"Yeah, well you ain't going to be here forever. And when you're not, I'll be back."

"I am here to protect Levon whether it be ten days or ten years. To protect him from you - and from Joe LaFiamma. Joseph LaFiamma is an Italian Catholic. They hold grudges for years and years. What I am saying, Mr. Browning, is that it will take Joe a long time to get over being mad at you for putting Levon into a situation that he couldn't back out of. You are damned lucky he didn't string you up by the balls too. Now I would suggest you leave. If Levon wants to get in touch with you he can. But it would be ill-advised for you to come uninvited."

Levon watched from the window as Quentin got into his truck and left without taking the horse. He waited for John to turn and walk back to the house, but to his horror the man fell to his knees, burying his head in his hands. Lundy was on his feet. Did he miss something? Did Browning attack John? To hell with his pain, he ran, skipped... hopped through the house out onto the grass to John's side.

 **"John!"** Levon screamed coming to a sliding stop. Dropping to his knees and then spiraled down to a sitting position. Lundy pulled the man's hands away from his face. John was crying. Why?

"John. Baby! Talk to me." Levon pleaded. Why is he crying? Levon ran everything through his head again. He couldn't understand what happened. Finally he asked. "John. Why are you crying?"

"Didn't like the way he talked about you. Like you were a piece of trash that he owned. I - wanted to kill that man. It took every ounce of strength in me to keep from smashing his head against his trailer. Not sure you would want me here when you found out I originally came to protect you from Joey."

"Originally?" Levon asked still not understanding.

"Now... now I found... my movie star. The man I been in love with for two years. Now I don't want to ever leave. Just want to kiss and kiss and fuck you for the rest of your life. But know you still love Joe. So there really ain't no hope for me."

Levon hung his head. He and Joe had been taking it slow. They were great friends, great partners, but when they went to bed the spark for what they were doing just wasn't there. Joe kept his apartment so they could split apart and try to figure out what was missing in their relationship.

Now John was here and in just two days he'd had cravings for the man that was keeping him awake at night. He'd had dreams about Joe but he'd never lain awake at night trying to figure out how to lay him.

"You know what I think?" Levon finally said.

"No."

"THIS!" Levon growled shoving John backwards onto the grass, climbing on top of him, kissing him, biting his lip. Sticking his tongue in John's mouth being careful not to touch the tongue. Driving the man wild by stroking the roof of his mouth. Levon drew back sadly relinquishing the mouth. He fumbled with John's belt buckle, opening up his pants, his zipper, pulling out the hard-on he felt pressing against his leg. He looked up and John was grinning at him. Doing the same thing to him.

Levon shoved his pants to his boots. Kicked one boot off and then other. The jeans slipped to the ground with the boot. The cowboy spread his buns and lower himself on John with one stuttering moan. "Carry me into the house, Johnny." Levon whispered, grasping John's shoulders as the man moved to a standing position.

A twinkle shined bright in John's black eyes. "Got new straw in Fooler's stall. What do you say we go there?" Without waiting for an answer John headed for the barn.

"Oh god, Levon. It feels so good to be inside you ... I ain't gonna make it to the barn." Johnny LaFiamma groaned sagging to the ground three feet from the barn door. He was coming already and Levon didn't have it yet. What the hell did Joe say... tongue in the mouth ... or ... suck tongue like a popsicle. Levon's mouth was open. He had to try it. Had to push out the demons dancing around in his head.

John lightly touched the cowboy's tongue with his. The sensation was different than when Levon had done it. He gently took the tongue in his mouth and starting sucking it. John felt a shiver go through his lover and then the man started to wildly bounce up and down jamming the cock deeper and deeper. John had all he could to hold the man.

When Levon went quiet, John was aware of something sticky on his stomach. Looking down he discovered that Levon had indeed had it ... all over him.

"Wanna go into house cowboy?"

"Nope. Want to stay right here."

"You and Joe have this kind of wild sex?"

Levon lifted his head from Johnny's shoulder. "No. No we didn't." Levon knew that what he and John had just experienced together was what he and Joe were lacking. "Joe and I love each other. We always will. But we weren't meant to be lovers."

"That mean we can be lovers?" John asked.

"That's what it means." Levon answered grinning into the face grinning back at him.

* * *

Joe LaFiamma stood with his back to the wall still dressed as he was when he talked to Lieutenant Beaumont. Guthrie stood on his right, Devlin on his left. They were in the communication center of the Texas Bond Company. In front of Joe was a screen much like HPD had in the dispatch room. It told where every TBC vehicle was located. Each vehicle was equipped with a GPS tracking system. The Mercedes had On Star. There were seven cubicles with room for more. Each cube had its own computer and as well as a monitor to whatever business they had security for. Joe was amazed at the knowledge of the tech people. He had asked for a demonstration and they asked him for a name. He had given 'John Joseph LaFiamma' and a wealth of information came up ... date of birth, place of birth, parents name, grandparents, brothers, sisters, cousins, where they lived, his tours of tour in Vietnam, his injuries, his surgeries, who his surgeons were, his incarceration and why.. even what happened to him prison ... and more. Joe couldn't believe it. Joe'd been quiet after that. Then he'd left his post by the wall and walked into a cube and asked the man to get him the private number of a Federal Judge - Anthony Burger Royce. Within seconds the phone number was handed to Joe who then walked to a conference room on the opposite of the room to make a phone call.

As soon as Joe was inside the room, Guthrie asked Jackson who Joe wanted. A flash of concern darted across his face. Turning to Devlin, the Colonel said, "Stay with LaFiamma."

"Don't you trust him, Sir?" Devlin asked surprised at the Colonel's request.

"Of course, I trust him. I just haven't seen him in a lot of years. People will talk if I follow him everywhere."

"Right." Devlin said grinning. _[We already know you're a couple Colonel, but hell I'll humor you.]_

LaFiamma was surprised to see Devlin, not Guthrie enter the office.

"This is Sergeant Joe LaFiamma, Houston P.D. I am requesting to speak with Judge Royce. Yes ma'am. I'll wait." Looking Devlin, Joe asked, "You my babysitter?"

"Yes Sir."

"Whatever is said in this phone conversation stays in this office! If you tell Guthrie - you better damn well watch your back, because I'll take you down if I find out he knows about this conversation. Otherwise, step outside the door and make sure no one comes in."

Devlin looked over his shoulder at Guthrie who still stood against the far wall, and looked back at Joe. "I can't tell the Colonel? What if he grills me?'

"You give your name, rank, serial number and say 'you're not at liberty to answer the question.' Otherwise, you step outside the door, back to me, and make sure no one comes in here - including Guthrie."

"Yes sir." He opened the door, made a square turn and went into parade rest. An action that took Guthrie off the wall and into his face.

Joe was just greeting the judge went he looked up and saw the Colonel reaming Devlin. "Excuse me, Sir," Joey said, "got a ruckus at the door I have to settle."

LaFiamma opened the door just as Guthrie threatened Devlin. "IF you want to keep working here you will step aside and let me pass."

"I can't do that Sir. You asked me to stay with him. He asked me to stay out here."

 **"GUTH-THER-RE! Back off!"** Joey barked loudly. The whole room went quiet. No one present had ever heard anyone tell the Colonel to back off. It wasn't done.

"If I can't make a personal phone call - in this building - without you or one of your spooks present to see what I'm doing - what I'm saying ... then perhaps I made the wrong decision in coming here." LaFiamma's sapphire blue eyes bore into his lover. "Now if you will excuse me, I am going back to my conversation with Judge Royce."

Everyone waited for the Colonel to slap LaFiamma. To dress him down. To make him crawl. Instead the man said. "You are right Joseph. I am out of line here. My apologies."

The men and one woman in the room shot glances at each. Eyes darted to the Colonel then to LaFiamma as he walked back into the conference room to finish his call. They stared at the Colonel as he returned to his spot on the wall, and Devlin went back to his post at the conference door.

As he reached the spot that he usually stood to view the communication center, Guthrie turned and barked to no one in particular. "If you don't have enough work here, I will gladly assign you extra details."

Chairs could be heard rolling, people were sitting, the last thing they needed was hours added to the eight they already worked.

When Joe finished his call, he opened the door and asked Devlin, "How can you afford to drive Land Rovers and Mercedes? Doesn't that eat up your capital?"

"They're leased," Devlin answered quietly as they walked back to the Colonel. "The Land Rovers come from a dealer in Virginia. Someone the Colonel knows. The Mercedes come from Dallas. Most have a ding or dent somewhere on them which they got in transport but which they can't put on the lot. People don't like to see new cars with dents in the fender or a hole in the windshield."

"Don't suppose I could put in for a Hummer?" Joe asked lightly.

"Gas guzzler.. not possible." Devlin answered, "I like them to. They are great for security detail if we're doing bodyguard duty. But can't afford eight miles to the gallon..

"Mercedes?"

"Mercedes SUV in black that I can do! The Colonel drives a Black Lexus."

As Joe took his position next to the Colonel, he said, "Sorry Leland, but that call was important to me. And to John. I didn't want interference". He raised his right hand and lightly touched Guthrie on the low back. He felt the man stiffened. Before he could tell the man what he wanted, Martin Chase walked into the room and told Joe that he had an important phone call. Martin led him to a small empty cube and had the call transferred up. Joe let Martin know he was expecting an important fax and to bring it to him as soon as it arrived.

"Yo, Estaban! Slow down." LaFiamma ordered. "What do you mean they terminated Lundy? What the hell for?" Joe listened in disbelief as Estaban told him about the snuff film, and that Browning had admitted he and Levon were long time lovers. "Bastard! He ever comes to town again, you bet you can have him. You know how Lundy took the news. Beaumont go out to see him. She called him!" She called him, damn. Was probably too upset to dare driving.

Joe hung up the phone and stood. Turning he found Guthrie and Devlin standing just outside the cube. Looking at Devlin, Joe said, "I'd like to take one of your Mercedes out. Or a Lexus." Looking at Guthrie, Joe said, "I'm going out to see Lundy, want to ride along?"

"I don't think that is a good idea, Joseph." Guthrie said his jaw tight.

"Colonel. From what Estaban just told me. Yes I need to go there and I need to go there now. These spooks," Joe said gesturing to the other men in the room. "they probably have been under your command a lot longer than I was. Our relationship is different." Joe watched Guthrie's eyebrows rise up just a tad. "You and I... we have a partnership in this business." Joe watched his lover visibly relax. "Now if you don't want me to go - you'll have to shot me to keep me from walkin' through that door." Joe stepped between them and started for the door. He was reaching for the handle when he heard Guthrie say, "Devlin. We'll be taking the Lexus."

"Yes sir. I'll call down and make sure it is gassed up."

* * *

The black Lexus with Guthrie driving pulled into traffic twenty minutes later. Guthrie looked at Joe as he was folding a two page fax and putting into his jacket pocket. "Damn son, for a minute there... I thought you were going to tell them we were lovers!"

LaFiamma burst out laughing. "Don't think I need to do that Colonel. Think they already know."

"What do you mean they know? You've only been onboard for two days."

"But, since I arrived we are always together. And if Devlin refers a question to you, you refer to me. Plus there is the way we look at each and just smile. I think the smile pretty much gives us a way."

Dark eyes flashed at him through the rearview mirror.

"It's not a bad thing, Lee," Joe said softly touching his lover on the knee. "Not a bad thing at all. If they don't already know, they do after my outburst at you. No one - tells a Colonel -- to back off."

"What was with the touch on the back when we were standing by the wall?"

"It wasn't a pass if that is what worried you. I was just trying to get your attention. If I was making a pass ... I would have caressed your butt or traced a finger down your ass. Next exit is Highway D."

* * *

"I think we better go get dressed, Levon. If Joe finds out you've been fired he might come out."

"Probably a good idea. Getting' a cramp in my leg from sittin' like this."

* * *

"Looks quiet." Guthrie said as they pulled into the ranch and parked.

"Not much Levon can do, thanks to me." Joe said regret in his voice. "I want to talk with him alone. Don't give me that look! I'm not going to hurt him. I want to apologize actually. What happened between us today in the tub told me Levon and I never should have tried to be lovers. We had a good working relationship and we are great friends, but I don't love him the way I love you. There was never any passion in our love making. You and I have passion!"

"That mean I get to tie you down in the tub?" Guthrie asked knowing full well the answer was no.

"That means I get to tie you down again and again and again." Joe said with a smirk. "Now let's get in there before I drag you in the back seat and strip your pants down."

* * *

"What are they doing?" Levon asked John who was standing at the living room window.

"They're talking. Joe's hand is on the dash and he is talking to Guthrie. Oh, oh. Here they come."

John was at the door opening it as the men walked up onto the front porch. The greetings were a cool hello all around.

Joe stepped into the entry and looked around. It was familiar territory. Joey reached up and touched Johnny's cheek. "What I told you helped, didn't it?" Joe said with a smile as his brother's ears turned bright pink.

"Levon!" Joey called.

"In the living room Joe."

"I need to speak with Lundy alone." Joe said.

John shook his head no, and moved between the living room and Joe.

"Stand down! John." Colonel Guthrie barked.

"No! He hurt Levon. I will not let him go in there alone."

"Johnny. It's okay." Lundy called from the living room.

Guthrie and Joe exchanged glances. _[Johnny!]_

"How about you and the Colonel stand right here in the hall. You can see everything then."

John agreed but he waited until Joe had pulled a chair up opposite Levon before he went and stood next to Guthrie.

Joey lightly touched the edges of the bandage, and then looked at the brace on his ankle. "What happened here?"

"I fell off one of those fucking beer cans! Twisted my damn ankle!"

Joe noticed the change in his partner's eyes. "Sorry about this Levon. Hope you forgive me one day. I just came unglued is all." He really hadn't realized the extent of his actions until he saw Levon's bandaged wrists...

"Don't make no nevermind, Chicago. If it had been reversed. I'd probably have beaten you with my fists and left you to die."

"You aren't telling John how much you really hurt though, are you?" Joe said tightly.

"The man's got enough on his plate, LaFiamma . He don't need to know that too."

LaFiamma heard John step forward and stop. Joe figured Guthrie grabbed him by the arm and held him back.

"Estaban called. Said you'd been fired over some gay porno film. What's that about?"

"Stupidity! Just like me and Browning was stupidity. Four years ago, he and me went to a rodeo friend's stag party. Dude was getting married and wanted one last wild fling. Twenty men - prancing around naked doing things they shouldn't. Joe, I gotta tell you," Levon's voice went soft, "I didn't know it was being filmed. I didn't. Didn't see any camera. Didn't see any flash. When I found John watching the film in the VCR this morning .... I damn near fainted on the spot."

Joe looked over his shoulder at his brother, whose eyes were staring a hole through Joe's back.

"Ain't his fault, Joe. He didn't know."

Joe started to reach inside his jacket, and heard the rush of feet behind. Heard Guthrie and Levon yell, "JOHN! NO!"

Joey sprang to his feet and grimaced as he turned to meet the threat. _[What was with this sudden pain I got in my system? Damn, can't hardly move without hurtin'.]_ Joe knew right away John thought he was reaching for a gun. He turned to face his brother, raising his hands in a surrender mode. Then Joe dropped to his knees, his eyes never leaving on his brother.

Guthrie's jaw was tight. "Damn, Joseph. I told you we shouldn't have come."

John LaFiamma stopped abruptly confused by what Joey was doing. Going into a captured submission mode - what did that mean? "I - I thought". John said looking from Joe to Levon to Guthrie. "Thought he were going for his gun. "

"May I reach in my pocket and give some papers to Levon?" Joe asked his brother. When John nodded yes. Joey reached in with two fingers to retrieve the folded fax then he handed it to Lundy. "I want... ah... you still on friendly terms with that investigative reporter in Dallas? He might be interested in this."

Levon opened the papers, read them, his jaw dropping to the floor. He looked back at the first page and read it again, followed by the second page. "Joe, this fax is addressed to you. You know this guy? He's a Federal Judge for...?" Levon asked looking up, surprised to still see John and Joe in a standoff.

"Johnny. It's okay. Tell Joe he can get up. Please."

John LaFiamma extended a hand to his brother Joey still not sure whether he trusted the man. "Sor--ry." John said.

"You know me John. You had every right to think I might still hurt him. My actions have not been good. I am sorry for hurting Levon. I really am. But.. if something like this hadn't of happened. You and Levon never would have gotten together, and Guthrie and I ......" Joe's voice trailed off, his eyes moving to his lover a soft smile crossing his face.

John turned and looked at Colonel Guthrie then back and Joe. "You mean, you and him, are like me and Levon?"

"Yeah. We are."

"HOT DOG! I was afraid you'd be left alone. All by yourself if Levon and I got together. But if the Colonel's got you, man, that is great."

"Ah...John, I don't have him. **He** has me." Guthrie corrected his eyes moving from John to Joe.

Levon saw a soft smile begin to form on his partner's face. "That I do. That **I do**."

"Then that story I heard **was true!** " Johnny gasped staring wide-eyed at his brother.

"What story?" Leland and Joe voiced together.

"About Joey seducing his C.O. in the shower." John said grinning his eyes on Guthrie.

"There was no one in the shower. How would anyone know what happened there?" Guthrie questioned.

Johnny grinned. He knew a secret they didn't. "What I heard was ... the Colonel was seen going into the officer's showers, and five minutes later Lieutenant Joseph LaFiamma went in... not heeding the 'Do Not Disturb' sign the Colonel had tacked on the door. An hour later the Colonel came out with a smile on his face. A smile that lasted for over a week. Then Joe came out about a half hour later.. whistling."

The two ex-Marines look as each other. All their careful planning shot to hell at the first meeting. They couldn't believe it.

"Then," John continued, "I heard you got transferred to his personal staff. Bet that was cushy?"

"Personal staff?" Joe choked a frown spreading across his face, his eyes changing as he looked to Guthrie.

Colonel Guthrie stepped into the living room from the hall. "It wasn't my personal staff. I had you transferred to my mission team. If anything happened to you on a mission. I wanted to be there. I didn't want to get second hand information that you were wounded or worse."

"Damn, Colonel! I wished you had explained that to me then. I was the only one who had less than two years in the Corps that was on that team. I can't tell you the number of times I was propositioned ... because they were sure I was your fuckin' buddy. Why else would a junior officer suddenly be transferred in."

Levon watched the Colonel's face turn green. He looked like he was on the verge of throwing up. The cowboy motioned John to get Guthrie to a chair and watched as the man sagged into it.

It was Levon who got his partner's attention and motioned Joe to the man. "LaFiamma." The cowboy said tightly nodding to where the Colonel sat with his head in his hands.

Joe walked over and knelt next to his lover

Colonel Leland Guthrie looked up sadness in his teary eyes. "The - the first time I saw you was during your basic training. You were just in from a twenty mile run. Your skin was slick with sweat - and damn if you hardly looked winded." Guthrie's black eyes held his lover captive. "You stripped down right where you stopped. Right down to your shorts. I would venture to say every man within thirty feet of you instantly went hard. You wrung the sweat out of your shirt and undershirt, out of your pants then put them all back on. From that moment I knew I had to find a way to get you into my unit. When I got back to my office in Virginia, I requested a copy of your dossier. I spent a weekend reading it." Leland paused in his confession, allowing his hand to gently trace Joe's jaw line, stopping short of his mouth.

Unconscious of his movement, Joe's hand moved Guthrie's fingers to his mouth. Giving them a light kiss.

"I had read and reread it about seven times and couldn't find any reason that made sense to have you transferred in. I was so angry, I threw the thing against a wall, and out dropped a little cassette tape. It was in an envelope that I hadn't noticed taped to the back of the folder. I put it into my recorder and spent the rest of the night listening to your voice. I played it over and over and over again. It was the tape you made of the languages you spoke. At 0h-six-hundred, I called my C.O. and told him that I wanted you in my unit as soon as possible. That you had to be there before my next mission. That I wasn't going to be caught in Europe again without someone who really spoke the language. When I told him you could replace two linguists I already had because you spoke Russian, French, and Italian, plus others... he agreed."

Joey now had both of the Colonel's hands clasped in his. His eyes never wavering. He had completely lost contact with Levon and John, he concentrated solely on his lover words.

"And the shower?" Joey asked.

"Yes the shower." A grin crossing the officer's face. "I had the water on already when I discovered I hadn't picked up any towels. I was just putting them over my shoulder when I heard the door open and close. I stepped into the shadows at the end of the lockers to see who this dumb fool was that dared walk through the 'Do Not Disturb' sign. When I saw it was you... I held my breath to see what you were going to do. When you started to undress - I almost stopped breathing. "

"As I recall, your towel was over your left shoulder." Joey said with a smirk.

Guthrie's eyes went wide. "YOU. KNEW. I WAS. THERE!!"

"Colonel. I don't strip like that for just anyone!" Joey said pulling the man in for a light kiss.

"I looked into your eyes that day after that run and saw nothing but love looking back at me. You were scared shitless. Obviously you never had feelings like that for a man before. Yet I knew then that we'd be together. Knew then ... you'd find a way to bring me to you. I stripped after that run for you, Colonel. No one but you."

"Then you did seduce me in the shower!"

"Well, Sir, you had to get me there first. But yeah, I stripped for you. Slow and methodical, exposing my shoulders, my chest, my hips, my butt, my hard-on. It was for you. And when I walked into the shower - I knew already that seducing you would be easy because you wanted me there bad. If you didn't, you would have dressed me down and told me to get the hell out of your private time."

"You were my first man." Leland said in a bare whisper. "Hell, you have been my only man! I was engaged once. Really thought I loved her. I wouldn't quit the Corps for her so she broke it off. After our shower.., I knew what she and I had was nothing. I wanted you more than life itself. I knew the whore I visited in Italy would never satisfy me again."

Joey leaned forward to give his lover a very intimate kiss. He hadn't wanted to do it in Levon's living room, but he knew he had to reassure his lover that his confession didn't change what was happening between them.

"W-O-W!" John exclaimed when the two broke apart. "Will you teach me how to do to Levon?"

Joey laughed. He turned to his brother's flushed face and said, "I think you and Levon have to find your own way. Levon has some experience in kissing. I can attest to the fact that he is a very good kisser."

**"LaFiamma!"**

"Well, you are Levon! We may not have had much going for us in bed... but we both are definitely great kissers."

"Joseph? Pleassseee...." Guthrie rasped his voice ragged with want.

"Lee. We ... we don't have any place to go. Your man Martin told my landlord I didn't need my apartment anymore. He had all my stuff taken to TBC. I'm homeless. And I sure the hell don't want to do it the back of the SUV."

"Joe," Levon said lightly, standing and reaching for the crutches he hadn't used since he left the hospital. "Just do it right here. John and I got other things to do."

"Levon," John said in a bare whisper. "We could fix the attic up for them. I mean if it were Guthrie's kin that once owned the place then ... well, it would give them a private place and we'd still get to see them."

"Better sound proof, if you do." Joe said putting his attention back to Lee.

Joey waited until John and Levon were in the hall before he pulled Guthrie to the floor. He opened Lee's pants, and slowly unzipped them, reached for the man's shorts and found none. "Since when have you been going commando?"

"Since we left on the mission. Didn't want to worry about any extra clothes lost by the wayside if we had the chance to connect. Faster with no underwear." Lee whispered with a grin.

"You are full of surprises Colonel." Joe said as he pulled his own pants down and kicked them off.

"No more surprised then I am that we are making love on your ex-lover's living room floor."

"Didn't want to lose the moment," Joe muttered leaning forward to attack his lover's mouth. Grasping Lee's hands, Joe held them above the man's head. His tongue pushed deep into Lee's mouth, tracing a scar line from near the mouth to the inside of the cheek. Then tracked in a zigzag pattern along the roof of Lee's mouth. Joe released his grip on Lee's hand and mouth.

"Damn, I - I can't hold it much longer Joe."

LaFiamma glanced down to his lover's cock and watched the prelim start to ooze. Moving his head downward, his tongue caught the juice before it fell from the cock's head. His mouth pulled the head in. Tongue tracing the edge before swallowing more. Levon thought Joe was the greatest here, but Joe knew he was not as good at cock sucking as his lover, he preferred to bring his lover up onto him and kiss him, but now he concentrated on getting Lee off this way. Later he would lift the man onto his own hard organ.

 **"OHGODDDDDDD! JOOOOSEPH!"** Guthrie screeched as he exploded down Joe's throat.

* * *

In the kitchen John almost dropped the open coffee can into the sink when he heard the Colonel scream.

Levon looked down the hall toward the living room and back at Johnny. "Joe wasn't kidding when he said to soundproof it. Figure from the size of it up there, a nice bedroom and living area would work. What do you think?"

"Don't need a kitchen. Joey already knows his way around this one. No problem to put a bathroom up there either. Can do it right above the one down here. You okay with fixing it up for them?"

"He's my partner, John. We've been through a lot in the last five years. I feel a lot better already ... knowing he is going to still be close by. You have a problem with it?"

"Long as he doesn't take you to bed or hurt you... I don't have a problem with them. They got to have a private place of their own. Texas Bond is monitored. There are cameras in the garage parking, in the elevator, the communication center, the gym, the pool and the billiards' room. Guthrie's apartment on the top floor isn't monitored but it isn't real homey either. Kind of sterile. Real modern. Your place here is homey. This place is nice. And... when you start working for TBC no one will think twice about them coming out here all the time."

"It's awful quiet down there," John said. "Think I'll just tiptoe down and see if they are okay."

* * *

Joey had retrieved a condom and lube from the drawer of the couch's end table. Put them on and had positioned Lee's legs on his shoulders and started penetration when John peeked around the corner and looked into the living room. .

"I like when you call me Lee," Guthrie said. "Not Colonel, or Leland. Definitely not Jethro. Haven't been called Lee since I was a kid. I like it."

"You like this too?" Joe asked as he pumped.

"Like it slower... slow-er.... " Lee's eyes closed and he muttered words John didn't understand.

"Want . want to go back to you being in charge... Want to go back to being tied down. You having your way with me. Whatever way that is."

"LEE-VON!" Joe shouted desperation in his voice.

"Joey, what do you need?" John asked quietly from the hall.

Joe glanced at John. The man was standing there wide-eyed his jaw to the floor.

"Need to use Levon's bed. Need something to tie Lee's hands to the headboard."

Joe watched John disappear. Minutes later Levon was there telling him the bed was ready. Joe shucked out of his remaining shirt, and pulled Lee onto his lap. The man grabbed Joe around the waist and LaFiamma let out an unearthly scream of pain. He rolled backwards and pulled himself up into a fetal position.

"Joe? Joseph!" Guthrie yelled crawling to his lover lovemaking all forgotten. Levon and John rushed into the room almost knocking each other down.

Guthrie gently touched Joe's shoulder and rolled the man over onto his back. He stared gaping at the black and red spot on Joe's rib cage. He knew the yellow spots were pus... infection ready to spread. "He should have told me! Didn't he know the danger?"

"What the hell you talkin' about, Colonel?" Lundy questioned scrambling to his partner, holding his whimpering head.

"Call 911! Get a Med-Vac chopper out here fast." Guthrie all but shouted. He reached back and fumbled for his cell phone, yanking it out of his pocket he flipped it open quickly punching in numbers.

"CALL 911 - DO IT! If we don't get him to a hospital soon - he will die!"

"D-Die?" John and Levon gulped together.

"Guthrie here - get me Nancy Chase - urgent! ...Nancy! I'm at Lundy's ranch. Looks like Joe got stung by Tony's lizard... Meet us at the ER with the necessary paperwork."

Next he went down his contact list for Tony LaFiamma's private number in New York. He didn't give a damn what the man might be doing, he knew Tony would pick up on the ring though he was getting damn inpatient with the man for not answering.

Levon got a taste of Colonel Guthrie's anger as he spat into his phone. "I don't give a damn how many people you have arriving for dinner. That lizard that went after Amanda Corson... that Joe grabbed and threw... it got him! He's on the floor in agony the pain's already started. We have a chopper coming. Nancy Chase is on her way to the ER. See you when you get in." Without waiting for an answer he flipped the phone shut.

"John ... Get that condom off and let's get Joe's pants on. Then let's gather up his clothes and you can bring them into the hospital with you when you and Levon come. I'll have Devlin send someone out for the Lexus."

* * *

Nancy Chase rushed into Memorial Hospital's Emergency Trauma Center and sought out their Trauma Chief Ezra Stone. He was not at all happy to see her when she started explaining why she was there and what soon would be going down.

Dr Stone glanced over the material he was presented and then shocked Nancy when he said he had been on the staff in Washington D.C. a few years ago for one of these bites. "This man who is being flown in ... how long ago did he receive the bite?"

"Three days ago. He was part of the team that rescued the Chandler family in Latin America. His name is Joe LaFiamma." Nancy Chase answered.

"JOEY? Sergeant Joseph LaFiamma? Oh god!" The doctor looked stricken.

"You know him?"

"Joe and his partner Levon Lundy have been patients here a number of times when they have gotten in the way of flying bullets. But Joe and I are new board members for Taylor Orphanage. Damn! His kids are going to be really hurting when he doesn't show up tomorrow night." Ezra said as he walked to the ER dispatch operator.

"His kids?" Nancy gasped grabbing the doctor's arm. "He has children!"

Dr. Stone stopped abruptly and looked at her. "They aren't his own kids. They are troubled kids that he's working with. He was down their path once and he is doing his best to get their feet back on the right path. Now let's check on that chopper and see if they have arrived at Lundy's ranch yet."

* * *

Two EMTs were in Levon's living room struggling to get Joey calm when their ER dispatcher came online to them. Dr. Stone wanted a status report, and then gave them the following orders. "This man is in pain. Just touching his skin will make him scream. You need to start an IV - straight saline solution. Have someone hold his shoulders down, and others hold his legs down. He will fight you! He will scream! But you have GOT to do it regardless. Once the IV is in ... start a mild sedative just enough to calm him down. NO - repeat NO pain killers. He has to be conscious when he comes in here. He needs to be able to talk to me when he comes in here. Let me know when you are airborne. Tell Colonel Guthrie - Mrs. Chase is here, and I am setting up a room for his man."

An exhausted EMT looked at John and told him to hold down their patient's shoulders. Levon and Guthrie each took a leg. Tears stained John's face as he held his screaming brother down. He didn't dare look at the Colonel or Levon, he knew they were hurting as much as he to see Joey in so much pain.

"Johnny!" Joey yelped in a little boy voice. "Johnny ... don't leave me again."

"I'm here, little brother. I ain't leaving any time soon. Just take it easy."

"You're his brother?" One EMT asked. "You the one riding along with us?"

"No sir," John said, "Colonel Guthrie is riding with you. I am driving Levon in."

"Yeah, I recognize Sergeant Lundy. But usually only family mem ...."

"I'm Guthrie!" He snapped sharply. "LaFiamma and I are lovers. That personal enough for you son? Now how about getting this man airborne - you stand around jawing much more and my Marine here is going to die on you. And I'll be damn if I am going to let that happen on my watch!!"

* * *

The Trauma Center was busy that night. A light rain had caused some accidents on the highway. Joe was whisked in and down the hall into an Isolation area. The waiting room for Isolation was small and spilled out into the Outpatient Surgery's waiting room.

Friends of Joe came and went. Some sat. Some paced. His partner Levon Lundy stood in a corner with John Joseph LaFiamma explaining the fax sent to Joe from Judge Royce. Levon had called his friend in Dallas and had already heard back from the man. He was personally contacting the judge to get in on this. The fax said the judge was opening up an investigation regarding John's and other 'Nam vets incarceration after the war, and that some of the vets had been declared dead when they were instead being used as expendables on special operations missions. Little did anyone know that Royce's call to a Washington Post investigative reporter was going to end with a Congressional investigation. John's main worry was, how his family in Chicago would accept him finding out he wasn't dead like Uncle Mikey had said he was.

Devlin James and two others from Texas Bond spilled into the Outpatient waiting area.. Houston cops Annie Hartung, Estaban Gutierrez and Carol O'Brien had been in and out. Even Lieutenant Beaumont had come and talked to Lundy. Dr. Stone had his nurse notify Taylor Orphanage that Joe was seriously injured and would not be able to meet with his kids tomorrow... that their next meeting depended on Joe's recovery.

Colonel Guthrie stood stoically in front of Isolation's double doors staring at the bright red sign that said - AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. More than an hour had passed since Devlin had tried to get him to sit, but it was like talking to a wall.

John and Devlin saw Tony and Allen LaFiamma getting off the elevator and jogged off to meet them. Letting them know that Joe was in Isolation and surgery was being done there.

Allen went with Devlin to the waiting room, Tony walked over to Guthrie. "Come on Colonel." Tony said gently. "Standing here isn't going to help Joe. You look exhausted. He's going to need you fresh. Come, sit."

Guthrie looked at Tony then back at the door. "I should have seen the bite before today." He said softly. "Hell, we have been making love since we were on the plane, and every day we've been back. Why didn't I notice it? He was irritable and irrational today. I should have known that was not the norm."

Conversation was at low murmur and stopped abruptly when a tall, lean, middle-aged woman in surgical scrubs stepped through the doors. "I understand someone is arriving who has survived one of these bites. Is he here yet?"

"Tony LaFiamma , ma'am, One of Joe's cousins." Tony answered, extending his hand, "What do you need?"

Doctor Emily Holland gave him a quick once over and said, "I need to talk with you privately in here.. please."

"Ah.. Colonel Guthrie here has..." Tony started not sure he wanted to through those doors alone.

"The Colonel has already helped us considerably, sir. You are the one we need now. Please, come with me."

"Damn, I hate hospitals." Tony growled.

"Just remember you're here for Joe. He hates them even worse than you do." Guthrie said sharply.

"Ain't that the truth!" Levon muttered loudly, bringing a smile to Guthrie's otherwise sour face.

* * *

Thirty minutes later Tony LaFiamma pushed open the double doors, grabbed Guthrie around the waist and propelled him into the waiting room. All conversation stopped, waiting for this newest addition to tell them what was happening.

"The surgeon wanted to see my scars." Tony said to the group. "I was bit by one of the same things a few years ago. They say Joey is lucky. He was wearing a jacket and a flak jacket, plus a couple of shirts... so he didn't get full venom to kill him outright. Those black spots you saw on him Colonel, was dead skin.. where the tip of the lizard's tongue got through his clothes. They might have to do some skin grafts to close up what they had to cut away. They have his jacket and vest in the lab here. It's got most of the poison on it, but what got into his bloodstream has slowly been pulling him down. From the ambulance and squad cars I saw on the tarmac near the plane we came in on, I would say the antidote for him was probably on our plane."

Tony looked at Guthrie. "Had the pain started on him yet?"

"Today! I grabbed him around the waist at Levon's ranch. He screamed and fell into a fetal position. Screamed bloody-murder when the EMTs touched him. We had to hold him down while they got an IV started. It was. Hell. For. All of us."

"I told Doctor Holland I'd seen a man driven insane by the pain of one of those bites. She said once the antidote got here his pain would start to go down and would stop the poison from attacking his system. Due to a five car pileup on the freeway, Joe's going to be kept here in Isolation. It's quieter and we'll be able to stay with him without disturbing the critical nursing staff. Otherwise he would be put in Critical Care. He's going to be heavily sedated for the first couple of days. I agreed to this. Otherwise they would have to restrain him, and I didn't want him coming awake that way. Something happened to him once, I don't know what, but if he wakes up and is tied down he goes berserk."

"He was raped ... in high school," Levon said quietly so only Tony, Allen, John and Lee heard him.

 **"What!!?"** Tony and Allen gasped. "When?"

"His junior year. Some jocks. Tied him face down in the locker room. Told him he was too pretty to be a cross country runner. That he'd do better in one of his uncle's brothels. He said he didn't know how many took him ... but one was captain of the football team that year and another was someone he ran with in cross country. The janitor found him. Took him to a free clinic, had him checked. Ask them not to let his uncle know what happened to him. Joe said there was no evidence there the next day. He figured the janitor went back and cleaned up the blood that was on the floor."

Tony and Allen exchanged glances and Guthrie said something in a language Levon didn't understand. Allen nodded and left the group. Allen knew Aunt Teresa had all of Joey's school yearbooks. It wouldn't be hard to track down the football captain, or the name of the janitor. He already knew a weak link is that chain of the football players that might tell them the rest of the names. Revenge is coming Joey. We may be late, but we take care of our own, and it won't be Uncle Mikey doin' the revenge. It will be those Marines you saved from near death, the Pollocks and the Greeks from Chicago's south side.

"Dr Holland suggested we all go home for a couple of days and get some rest, however I told her there would always be someone in his room... it was the way this family works... they would just have to work around us."

He looked from Levon to Guthrie. "I figure between us three LaFiamma's and you and Levon, we can have him covered twenty-hours a day. I don't want him waking up with no one there." Tony said.

"Agreed!" Came the unison answer.

* * *

Allen stood at a bank of phones on the first floor of the hospital. He called information first to get the phone number of Theophilus Alexander. Once he got Theo on the phone, Allen explained his call. He felt Theo's rage through the connection. Found out that the football captain was running for some State of Illinois seat in the legislature, and that Sal Sebastian had given support to the man. However, Theo said it would be a blow to have Sal withdraw his support and he knew he would once he learned what happened to Lieutenant LaFiamma when in high school. Especially since this guy was toting his football years. Allen smiled as Theo told him not to worry. He'd get back to him on who all was involved and they would make sure the guys paid, regardless of what they were doing in life now.

* * *

Twelve hours. Twenty-four hours. Thirty-six hours. And still the object of their love lay before them unmoving on a hospital bed. Levon's long sleeved shirts covered his healing wrists, and his tight boots supported his sprained ankle that was causing him more problems than his wrists. Colonel Guthrie ... was sporting a three day beard.

"Levon?" Guthrie whispered into the ear of the cowboy who was sacked out between two chairs in Joe's room. "Any change?"

"Nope." The Texan said rubbing his eyes. Standing he slowly stretched to easy out his stiff muscles. "Thought you weren't due till later."

"Allen's here to take over early. I got a call from a realtor this afternoon. Seems Joe looked at a house a couple months back. Know anything about that?"

The two looked at Allen who took over the chairs Levon abandoned. As they left the room, Levon told Guthrie about the house Joe had found and really loved but he had been beat out by another buyer putting in a higher bid.

"Well," Guthrie said with a gloat. "The dudes couldn't get a loan ... got rejected, and now Seller wants to deal with the other interested buyer, which is Joe. I told this realtor, Sandy Davis, that you and I would meet her at the place. I got money I can put down until Joe's ready. Or hell I'll just pay for it and give him the house. I got money I haven't used in years, about time I showed the boy how much I really love him. She said you had been there with Joe. Do you remember where it is?"

"Yeah. Come on, I'll drive!" Levon said hobbling out of the hospital toward the Visitor's Parking lot. _[If Joe had told me weeks ago that I'd be this friendly with his lover, I'd have given him one of my looks. But hell I like the man. And there's no doubt he's really in love with Joe.]_

"Tell me about this place." Guthrie asked as they left the hospital parking lot.

"It's in a place called The Forest. One of a handful of developers around here who actually leave the old trees up and build around them instead of taking everything down and putting in saplings. As I remember this place is on a dead end street. Has kind of a circle drive in the front. Brick house. Something Joe wanted. Kind of reminds him of Chicago. Think they were leaving a pool table too."

"Hmmm, satin sheets on a pool table. Tied down waiting pleasure. Now that's something I can look forward too."

Lundy shot a glance at the man riding with him. From the look on Guthrie's face it was something the man had already experienced and was licking his lips in anticipation of doing it again.

They pulled up to the house and Guthrie was out of the Jimmy before Levon had turned off the ignition. He walked into the house and introduced himself to Ms. Davis and asked for a walk through. He asked questions of her and Levon and stopped dead when they ended up in a family room obviously added on to fit the pool table.

Guthrie shot several questions in the direction of the realtor, his eyes never leaving the pool table. Finally after getting answers to selling price, taxes, closing costs. He said, "How much cash does the present owner want to walk away with?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Let me put it this way, Ms. Davis. Joe wanted this house before and he lost it. It's available now. Unfortunately he's unconscious in a hospital. If I decide I want to buy it for him. It would be a cash deal. I would want to close by Saturday and I want possession by Monday because on Tuesday his things are going to be moving in here. You go call your sellers see if they want to deal."

"What do you think Levon? Would he want the house still?" Guthrie asked. The only thing he liked about the place was the pool table.

"Damn, Colonel. I don't know. He was real upset when he lost it ... but then he figured it was fate that he didn't get it and there was something else out there for him. Any chance I can look at your place before you make a deal here?"

"Absolutely. I should probably show you that anyway. Give you a chance to make your decision about working for me."

"Ms. Davis. Check with your seller. Then call this number," Lee said taking out his wallet to retrieve a business card. "In the meantime, I'll give Levon a tour of our facility and see if we can't make a decision on this house. I'll let you know later today."

* * *

Levon followed Guthrie's directions and gaped at the building he was turning into. "Damn! I didn't know the Texas Bond Company was part of the original old Houston Bank building. The original space is over hundred years old. You keepin' that stone work on the front?"

"We are. Turn into that drive. Then put this card into the slot and the doors will open for you."

Lundy did as he was told, then handed the card back to Lee. He drove into a very modern looking parking garage and parked under a sign that said 'Visitor's Parking.'  
As they got out of the Jimmy, Guthrie explained that everything here is monitored. The whole garage. The elevators. The stairwells. All the offices. The gym, the swimming pool."

"You got a swimming pool here? Joe would love that. He takes the kids he works with at the orphanage to the YMCA whenever he has a free weekend. Buy him a pool table and put it somewhere ... and he wouldn't need a house."

Guthrie smiled. A pool table is a lot cheaper than a house, he thought. "We also have sales offices for the security business we're starting. Plus some studio apartments for some of the people who work here and would rather live here than elsewhere...."

Taking out the card that got them into the garage, Guthrie motioned Levon to the elevator. "I'll take you up to the apartment I have here ... see what you think. Then show you our communication center. Then you can tell me your opinion on the house, though I think from the look on your face, we can let the house go."

The two men stepped out of the elevator into a wide open foyer. Lundy slowly walked in trying to get a feel of the place. It was modern ... much like Joe's old apartment. The living room had a fantastic view of the city. "Bet this is a gorgeous view at night," he said. They walked through the dining room, the kitchen, the guest rooms and into the master bedroom. Levon's hands lightly touched the walls in each room. His eyes scanned the master bedroom .. a king-size bed, the dressers ... what looked like a closet ... then he saw the bathroom and walked directly there without touching anything in the bedroom. Levon stood in the gigantic master bath staring at the huge shower, the jazucci tub, the double sinks, big open linen closet.

"Nice shower?" Levon said as Guthrie came and stood beside him.

"Joe take you in the shower?" Guthrie asked quietly.

"Our first time. Our only time, really. Damn he was good. I wanted him so bad. It was only later I realized he was calling me 'Lulu' when he was at his hottest point." The blond turned and looked at the light pink blush on Guthrie's face. "Reckon he's always been yours Colonel. Always will be. Probably called countless other men by the same name. You take good care of him - or I'll whip your butt." Levon said with a smirk.

Guthrie laughed. "You telling me, Joe doesn't need a house anymore?"

"I think he has everything he needs right here, Lulu. How about showing me the rest of TBC and then let's get back to the hospital. Don't want our man to know we aren't keeping our visual."

* * *

Twenty minutes later Levon and Guthrie walked back into the lobby of Memorial Hospital and took the elevator up to the fourth floor. "Now if we can just get Joe conscious and home, he'll do a lot better." Levon said.

"Glad I had you along on this house deal. I didn't want to buy something if he had changed his mind. If it is still for sale and he wants it, we can look at it together. Don't suppose we can smuggle him out ... can we?"

"Nope, but once he's awake, we better get him out or he'll disappear on his own."

"Has he?"

"Yup."

* * *

Four days since he collapsed and still he sleeps. The sedatives have been withdrawn. His blood work is clear. Doctors are at a loss as to why he still isn't conscious. Tony and Allen have been sent back to Washington. John has been banished to the ranch to take care of the horses. Guthrie and Levon now take turns holding up the wall in Joe's private room.

"Any word on the bones in that trunk, Levon? I gave them a blood sample." Lee asked.

"They said it was going to take a while, Lee. But I got the impression that they aren't related to you. Got a call before I left this morning. Looks like the bones and a skull found in one of the wooden boxes belong to more than one person. They said they might want to do a 'dig' on the ranch. Not sure I like that."

"I called a Great Aunt in New Jersey. Asked her about information that was in the newspapers. Practically fell over when she told me she has saved copies of the same paper for years. She's sending them to me. Damn. It was like reading my own obit when I read that headline."

Joe listens to the banter of the two men in his room but can't make out what they are saying. He recognizes Levon but the other is a mystery to him until his partner calls the man Lee. They turn toward him when he repeats the name. "Lee." Not realizing he'd said the name out loud.

"Joseph." Lee says anxiously, bringing one of his lover's hands to his mouth. "Joe. Come back to us."

"You look like shit, Colonel." Joey rasped softly opening his eyes. "But I like the beard... you gotta keep that. ... Levon, how... how long I been here?"

"Four days. How you feeling?"

"Well ... don't feel like I have Chicken's hot salsa running through my veins anymore. Haven't wanted to move for a least a day. Afraid that pain would have me disturbing the whole hospital."

Lee gasped. "You've been laying here for a whole day not moving."

"The pain was bad, Lee. Worst I've ever had. Worse than being shot. I almost went stark raving mad just making love to you at Levon's house. If I laid still it didn't hurt as much. If I moved ... it was hell."

"Well, love," Guthrie said softly. "If you don't get better soon, Levon and I are thinking of smuggling you out of here and taking you home."

"Home?" Joe asked looking at the grins on both his friends.

"Home... at TBC or at Levon's ranch. John and friends have been working day and night on the Guthrie LaFiamma attic love nest." Lee said with a grin. "Or if you want I can call your realtor. The house you wanted in The Forest is available again ... if it is something that you want to buy."

"Lee and I went to look at the house three days ago. But I told him not to buy it. After looking at the apartment at TBC and what John is doing at the ranch ... figured you didn't really need a house." Levon said.

"Looks like you two have become best buddies in the last four days." Joey said looking from one to the other.

"We're just two guys who love you LaFiamma." Levon said with a grin.

"Just so only one of you crawls into my bed," Joey said pulling the hand that still held his to his lips for a kiss. "Can't wait to see that love nest. John wants some hands on sex training on how to satisfy his lover. Best place to do it is on the ranch."

"Hands on... now wait a minute LaFiamma!" Levon gulped blush covering his face.

"Nice to know you boys are getting along again." Guthrie said with a grin. "Can't wait for you two to start working for me. Going to be one hell of a ride. And I guarantee you won't get suspended for kicking in a door!"

"What do you say Lundy? Want to be partners again?" Joey said his blue eyes sharp.

"Thought you'd never ask!" Levon replied, giving Joe their clenched fist shake.

\--THE END-

_Published on Starwinder's Houston Knights, August 2006_

 

_Continues in Part Two. Link above._

 

 

 

 

 

  
_Everything on this page is fiction. Any resemblance or reference to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental._


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